As synagogues nationwide debate whether to have armed individuals in their building to prevent possible terror attacks, Jewish groups are stepping up their efforts to safeguard places of worship and other gathering places.
One of those groups, the Secure Community Network, has issued new research and scenarios on who might carry arms in a congregation – from trained law-enforcement personnel to congregational members – and how to keep attendees safe.
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Titled "Firearms and the Faithful: Approaches to Armed Security in Jewish Community," the 24-page white paper was crafted by SCN – the security arm of the Jewish Federations of North America and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. It was written in consultations with security experts, including federal and local law-enforcement officials.
The guidelines come just weeks after a terror attack at the home of a rabbi in Monsey, NY, and has been in the works for several months following last year's deadly attacks at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh and Chabad of Poway in Southern California.
"With attacks against synagogues and Jewish communities at their highest levels in years, this report comes at an important time," said Eric Fingerhut, president and CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America. "We are rethinking our approach to security."
According to the FBI, hate crimes targeting Jews are on the rise nationwide. In 2018, of the 1,550 recorded religiously motivated bias offenses, 57% were "motivated by anti-Jewish bias."
"We've seen a rise in attacks against houses of worship and concerns about how to best protect worshippers," said the national director and CEO of SCN Michael Masters in a release. "This white paper provides a consistent, best practice approach to issues related to armed security to ensure people can worship safety."
The paper advises that "an armed guard or armed congregant is not a security strategy or plan on its own. Armed security can be part of a plan, but it is only that – a component. A true security plan includes many other layers and components …"
It also lays out eight points to know before deciding whether or not to have guns in the synagogue, including concerns about legality, training, costs and more.
While noting that it is up to each congregation to make security decisions for themselves, the paper concludes that "if a congregation determines that armed security will be part of their plan, then this paper should help them reach the conclusion that employing a uniformed police officer is the option most likely to achieve their goals."
Another group, Herut North America, is offering a new guide to help congregations better organize their security efforts. The "Synagogue Security Tool Kit," HNA said in a press release Thursday, is being offered free of charge to all members of the Jewish community interested in improving security as well as synagogue leaders.
"We have developed this e-book guide as a hands-on tool to aid synagogues with both evaluating their security needs as well as organizing their own security teams," says HNA national director Moshe Phillips.
"This information-packed booklet is specifically designed to give Jews the information they need to feel empowered around security-related needs and issues. We have included checklists, assessment worksheets, planning guides, practical advice, and more."
According to HNA, the team responsible for the booklet includes IDF veterans, individuals trained in counter-terrorism, longtime community security volunteers, and legal professionals.
The booklet, the HNA statement continued, will help Jewish institutions develop a security plan that can be implemented in a synagogue, kollel, yeshiva, camp, or day school.
"Our goal is to have this booklet utilized by synagogues in all 50 states so that further anti-Jewish violence and bloodshed can be prevented," said Joshua Goldstein, chairman of Herut North America.
"Action is required now," Goldstein added. "Please help us reach our goal in making the streets safer for Jews across America."
Parts of this article were reprinted with permission from JNS.org.
