The last few weeks have been challenging and difficult for everyone involved in synagogue life. The tragic shooting at Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, as well as the uptick in anti-Semitic crimes, have put us all on edge. We know that many of our kehillot have held emergency meetings to look at security plans, decide on possible security upgrades and determine what could be done to make their synagogue communities safer. Our staff has received dozens of calls from kehillot looking for guidance regarding security, on such topics as low-cost ways to enhance synagogue safety, how to create an emergency plan and how to form a synagogue security committee.
While synagogue safety is an ongoing issue, here are some tips that kehillot of any size can use to start getting serious about their security needs.
- Meet with your local police. Make sure they are aware of and working your kehilla. How can your local police force help you assess your security needs? Do they have up-to-date blueprints of your building?
- Connect with your local Jewish Federation. Many local Federations have a security liaison for the community and work directly with local law enforcement, DHS, and the FBI. Make sure you take advantage of any briefings, trainings, etc. that they may provide.
- Assign a primary contact person. It’s important to designate and publicize a contact person that the police, FBI or anyone else could reach in case of an emergency.
- Assess your communication systems. What system do you have in place in the event that you need to reach your community members?
- Review your building access policy. One of the primary issues we face is the ease of access. While it might involve a change in culture, it is worthwhile to limit access to the building to just one door.
Additionally, take a look at these helpful resources:
- Secure Community Network (SCN): Resources for Houses of Worship (USCJ is a member organization of SCN)
- FEMA: Resources to Protect Your House of Worship
- FEMA: Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans
- JCRC: 5 steps for making your facility safer and more secure
- DHS: Houses of Worship Security Practices Guide
- The Commons: Synagogue Security Resource Library
USCJ is working to schedule webinars and trainings on some of these topics in the upcoming weeks. Keep an eye out for our upcoming events. We also encourage you to join the conversation with other synagogue leaders in the Synagogue Security Forum on USCJ’s digital community platform, The Commons.
from USCJ https://uscj.org/blog/first-steps-towards-synagogue-security
via USCJ
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