As Hanukkah celebrations strategy, safety at synagogues, group facilities and faculties within the D.C. space is a priority.
“One thing we all the time say: Safety is a course of, not a product,” stated Rusty Rosenthal, director of group safety with JShield, the in-house safety division of the Jewish Federation of Higher Washington.
That JShield exists speaks volumes.
Homes of worship attempt to keep an open-door coverage, conscious, although, of how these with in poor health intent can exploit such a coverage.
“Now, the establishments have higher doorways, and so they hold the doorways closed, and there’s locks and there’s cameras keeping track of issues,” Rosenthal stated.
JShield has been round for a few yr and is chargeable for group safety all through the higher D.C. space.
“Now we have an intelligence analyst that helps monitor the entire varied incidents and any nefarious chatter that may be on the market focusing on our occasions, or our services or our folks. And clearly, there’s loads of that lately,” Rosenthal stated.
He stated he believes American Jews are having to deal with safety concerns already acquainted to some Jewish communities overseas.
“You see establishments and synagogues in Europe or South America, and so they look lots in another way than they do right here,” he stated. “I imply they’re in walled-in compounds with locked gates. So, it’s actually not new typically, however it’s a bit bit extra of a tradition shift right here in the US.”
Communities try to reply to troublesome instances with out overshadowing a season of celebration.
