His desire to help others, especially those with mental and emotional illness, and to foster understanding between people of all faiths motivated Rabbi Emanuel L. Lifschutz to give up his pulpit at Temple Menorah and become Milwaukee’s first Jewish community chaplain.
In 1962, he was named the director of Jewish Chaplaincy Services in Wisconsin under the auspices of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation. That same year, he was appointed chaplain with the Milwaukee County Medical Complex. He held those posts until 1978, when he focused his work as a psychiatric chaplain at the Veterans Administration Hospital, now Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center. He retired in 1992.
He died April 29 of heart disease at Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital at the age of 93.
A native of New York, he was ordained as an Orthodox rabbi at Yeshiva University in 1932. He attended Columbia University Graduate School and California Graduate School of Theology.
He got a taste of what would become his ultimate profession while serving as a chaplain in the U.S. Navy from 1943-46 during World War II.
After stints as a rabbi and educator at various religious institutions on the east coast and in Canada, he was appointed rabbi and education director at Temple Menorah in 1958. He changed his course and became a Conservative rabbi in 1955 because he wanted a more inclusive approach to religion.
In leaving his position as a congregational rabbi, he again changed his course. Those who knew him believe he made the decision to enter the chaplaincy because he wanted to eliminate prejudice and bigotry and foster understanding between all peoples.
According to Melvin Zaret, executive vice president emeritus of the federation, “The timing to create the chaplaincy program here and hiring Rabbi Lifschutz was coincidental. We knew there was a population of Jews in places that were set apart from the community such as hospitals, nursing homes and other institutions and we wanted to reach out to them spiritually and to provide other human services. So we created the program.
“Rabbi Lifschutz was looking for a new focus, had had some previous chaplaincy experience and was interested in the field, so he was hired. He was able to develop a strong relationship with all the area hospitals and was quite successful. He reached out to thousands of people who received good support from him over the years.”
At that time, Lifschutz furthered his education in the chaplaincy field by attending several clinical pastoral training sessions here and a three-year program in psychotherapy at Chicago Medical School.
In 1980, he was the first rabbi to receive the Association of Mental Health Clergy’s Anton T. Boisen Award for his dedicated service to the emotionally ill, contribution as a teacher and interpreter of religious ministry to health professionals, and leadership.
Locally, he was on the founding committee of Hillel Academy, past president and board member of the Milwaukee Zionist Organization, and past board member of the Milwaukee Mental Health Association and the Wisconsin Society of Jewish Learning. He was also active in many professional organizations.
He is survived by daughter Shelley (Herman) Bruch of Berkeley, Calif.; sons Jonathan and Dr. David Lifschutz, both of New York; and six grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Deborah Lifschutz.
Funeral services were held April 30 in Milwaukee. Burial was in Elmont, N.Y.
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