Under the proposal, Eva Drive would become Lori Lynn Lane. It is located near where the 60-year-old congregant lived with her husband, Dr. Howard Kaye, about a mile from the synagogue.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

Poway Mayor Steve Vaus said that people associated with Chabad approached the city to propose the street-name change.

"They did all the groundwork, and our team got the obstacles out of the way," he said. "It should have unanimous and enthusiastic support."

Three people, including senior Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, were wounded on April 27 when lone gunman John Earnest shot at worshippers during Shabbat-morning services.

Earnest has pleaded not guilty to state and federal charges, including 113 federal hate crime-related counts.

If convicted of the murder charge, the 20-year-old could face the death penalty, though prosecutors haven't said what sentence they would seek.

He is scheduled to be back in court on Dec. 5 for a status hearing, at which time a trial date will likely be set.

The post City of Poway, CA, set to rename street after Chabad shooting victim appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

Jewish Agency chair Isaac Herzog lit a memorial candle in memory of those murdered in the shooting – the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in American Jewish history.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

"B'chol dor va dor ('in every generation'), there are challenges for each generation. What strikes me is that some of our challenges today are similar to those of 90 years ago. Anti-Semitism, divisiveness among the Jewish people. … We cannot put our heads in the sand. We have challenges we must meet. We must also build the future," he told those gathered.

Among hundreds of other communal leaders at the meeting who stood for a moment of silence were Jewish Agency board chair Michael Siegel, and Pittsburgh community leader and chair of United Israel Appeal Cindy Shapira.

Shapira told the gathering of global Jewish leaders: "What happened after the attack is testimony to the resilience of the Jewish community, as well as the community at large. We remember and repair together."

She explained that she chose to be at the board of governors in Jerusalem and miss the numerous commemorative events in her hometown of Pittsburgh to focus on the resilience of Jews everywhere, saying: "I'm here at this meeting because the Jewish Agency and leadership of Jewish people around the world are in a focused mission to connect the Jewish people to each other and to Israel, security all over the world and bring those to the homeland who want to be here."

Tens of thousands of people around the world will "pause with Pittsburgh" and receive a text message on Oct. 27 at 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, calling for a moment of silence and naming the 11 Jewish worshippers who lost their lives.

In a powerful show of unity and collective remembrance, she noted, tens of thousands of people worldwide will "pause with Pittsburgh" and receive a text message on Oct. 27 at 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, calling for a moment of silence and containing a video with a mourning prayer, the names of the 11 Jewish worshippers who lost their lives, a link to virtually join Pittsburgh's local service and the opportunity to share a message of solidarity by text.

Also speaking of her experiences in Pittsburgh in the weeks following the attack, young Israeli emissary Hadar Maravent spoke on a panel at the opening ceremony with other shinshinim (emissaries who defer their army service to work in a Jewish Diaspora community for a year). She recalled working with teenagers in the aftermath, bringing her own experiences of terror attacks in Israel.

"People felt comfortable reaching out to me partly because I'm Israeli and [moving on from anti-Semitic attacks] is familiar to me in a way," she told JNS.

"We talked about anger, frustration and sadness," she said. "I wasn't just a guest in the community; I was there because I needed to be there for the teens and families that hosted me, sharing a message of hope, and that we are stronger together."

Herzog, who met Hadar in Pittsburgh a few days after the massacre, told the leaders gathered that nurturing the future of the Jewish people and promoting the shlichut (sending) of young Israeli leaders will "bring the voice of the Jewish world" back to impact Israel.

As part of the board of governors meeting, the Jewish Agency will approve its new strategic plan, which seeks to tackle the major challenges facing Jewish communities in the coming decade.

According to that plan, Herzog told JNS, the Jewish Agency will "focus our operations on connecting all the geographies within the global Jewish community, with the core strategy coming from the need to address the challenges of the Jewish world, such as divides within the Jewish people, the challenge of anti-Semitism and the security of Jewish community infrastructure around the world."

"Putting forward the idea of a new operational structure will give a platform for local partnerships that have the ability to connect Jews all over the world not only to Israel, but between themselves as well," he said.

In addition, Herzog noted that his organization will continue to focus on encouraging aliyah.

It will also focus on educating Israelis through work with its government agencies to more effectively "listen to the voice of Diaspora Jewry" and assume a major role in more effectively supporting them.

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org

The post Global Jewish leaders honor the memories of 11 Pittsburgh shooting victims appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

"That's a lot more – +19 points – than one year ago," stated the German broadcaster ARD, which conducted the poll, on its website, in comparison to last year's finding that just 40% of Germans believed anti-Semitism in the country is alarming.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

Only 35% of respondents thought Jew-hatred wasn't increasing in Germany.

The poll was published after German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer announced on Thursday a six-point plan to combat anti-Semitism and right-wing extremism through tougher regulations to limit online hate speech along with cracking down on purchases of illegal guns and other weapons by members of the far Right.

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

The post Poll: Majority of Germans alarmed over anti-Semitism following synagogue attack appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

On July 11, James Reardon Jr., 20, tagged the Jewish Community Center of Youngstown in an Instagram post that featured a video of a man shooting a semi-automatic weapon. This launched what New Middletown Police Chief Vincent D'Egidio described as an "intense … rapidly evolving investigation."

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

Police described Reardon as an "avowed anti-Semite and white nationalist" whose social media was full of racial slurs. He was arrested after the FBI raided his home on Friday and seized a stockpile of semi-automatic weapons and ammunition, bulletproof armor, and a gas mask, as well as anti-Semitic and white supremacist propaganda.

Reardon is currently being charged on counts of telecommunications harassment and aggravated menacing. The FBI has yet to announce if it plans to seek federal charges against the suspect.

In response to Reardon's arrest, the Cleveland branch of the Anti-Defamation League tweeted a message of thanks to the FBI and local law enforcement and "community partners."

"We will continue to employ all our resources to stop the spread of white nationalism and violent extremism," ADL Cleveland stated.

According to Action News 4 out of Pittsburgh, where an anti-Semitic shooter killed 11 people and wounded seven the Tree of Life Synagogue on Oct. 27, 2018, local police in Youngstown said they intended to provide the Jewish community center with extra security.

Following the arrest, the Youngstown Area Jewish Federation issued a statement of thanks to local police and the Department of Homeland Security that described the pre-emptive arrest of Reardon as "a clear example of everything going right."

The post Ohio man arrested after threatening to shoot up Jewish community center appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

Pence tweeted that "no one should fear in a house of worship. We will always condemn evil acts of anti-Semitism. We are with you!"

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

Pence also tweeted that he and Karen were "honored" to visit Chabad of Poway and said that Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, who was also wounded in the April shooting, was an "inspiration to the nation."

After the shooting, Goldstein said, "Right here it turned dark for a long moment and then the miraculous bright light came on."

In May, shooter John Earnest was indicted on 113 federal counts after pleading not guilty to hate crimes.

The post Pence in Poway: We will always condemn anti-Semitism appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

Three arson incidents occurred in Massachusetts within a week during the month of May. Two occurred at the Chabad Center for Jewish Life of Arlington, while another happened at the Chabad Jewish Center in Needham. State and federal law enforcement are investigating these incidents.

                                              Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

Rabbi Mendy Krinsky directs the Needham location with his wife, Chanie, who smelled a fire outside their home, which the rabbi extinguished "before the smoke alarms even went off," according to his wife's Facebook post.

"Jewish community centers throughout the United States have been addressing the evolving nature of the threats against them for many years," the rabbi told JNS. "When an attack does occur, it's a time to re-evaluate and continue to enhance security measures."

"We've been working closely with security experts and law enforcement, as we had been doing before this took place," he continued. "We are grateful to law enforcement for their continued partnership in ensuring our safety, and we are taking independent security measures as well."

Krinsky declined to say what specific security protocols his family has taken since the arson, although he did mention that they haven't received any threats since and have gotten an "outpouring of support from the community."

Rabbi Moshe Bleich, who runs the Chabad on-campus center for students at the nearby Wellesley College and Babson College in Massachusetts, told JNS that there are different approaches to security among the many Chabad Houses around the world.

He declined to specify what precautions he and his wife, Geni, have been taking, but noted that all Chabad synagogues and centers are taking new precautions – not just because of the recent fire, but in the aftermath of the April 27 shooting at Chabad of Poway in Southern California, which resulted in the death of one woman and injuries to others, including the senior rabbi there.

Chabad emissaries in the state have undergone a Civilian Response to Active Shooter Event, according to Bleich. It is a training course that was created by the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training organization (ALERRT) in 2004, five years after the mass shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado, where 15 people, including the two perpetrators, were shot and killed.

According to ALERRT's website, "topics include the history and prevalence of active shooter events, civilian response options, medical issues, and considerations for conducting drills."

The program is offered through local law enforcement and is funded "through several state and federal entities," per ALERRT.

Bleich said he plans to go through the program soon.

"We pride ourselves as being a home for every Jew – a welcoming environment for everybody," he said. "We're not looking to scare anybody off. The last thing we would want is that people should not feel safe and not feel comfortable to come to a synagogue."

"On the other hand," he continued, "we need to make sure that everybody will feel safe and feel comfortable going to a synagogue."

Krinsky echoed that sentiment: "My message to all rabbis is that security and a warm, welcoming environment are not mutually exclusive. People are more comfortable and at ease in what they feel is a safe space. While ensuring that our places of gathering and worship are safe and secure, let's keep our focus on what our added value really is: inspiring and uplifting people, and bringing more light into the world."

'All about risk appetite'

Bob Kinder, who served six years in the US Armed Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, and is currently the president and CEO of the safety and security consulting firm Talon Solutions, which has contracted with synagogues to provide armed security, told JNS that "taking surveillance, all that does is capture an image of the perpetrator, whatever they're doing, their nefarious activities. If you do not have an operational arm that can interdict very rapidly, then the best surveillance systems in the world won't do you any good if your objective is to prevent an attack."

"Surveillance systems and hardening a synagogue or a JCC or another Jewish institution is absolutely critical just to keep out would-be assailants," he continued. "But unless you have somebody who can rapidly react to that adversary, you'll find it's just too late."

That is not to say all Jewish institutions need to have armed personnel, said Kinder, as defense and security are all about "risk appetite," he said, adding that "and we're certainly at risk."

The post Arming synagogues? Jewish leaders grapple with balancing safety and accessibility appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

Erdan wrote that anti-Semitism in political cartoons extended beyond the pages of newspapers and turned into the "blood of Jews" being spilled in synagogues or other places "identified as Jewish."

"That is always the true motive for terrorism and murder against our people – not 'the territories' or 'concessions,' – hatred of Jews," Erdan wrote.

"The loathsome terrorist who carried out the murderous act in the California synagogue and killed the late Lori Gilbert Kaye was inspired to kill by the same anti-Semitic motives in the cartoon published in The New York Times – [accusations] that the Jews run the world, that the prime minister of Israel runs the world. The Israeli prime minister is portrayed as a guide dog leading a blind man. How much hatred and incitement that illustration contains," he wrote.

"So people are saying that the newspaper supposedly apologized and that the cartoon's publication was an 'error in judgment.' … You wouldn't accept such a limp-wristed condemnation of racism and incitement if it were directed at any other minority," Erdan continued.

The post Strategic affairs minister: Times cartoon inspired synagogue shooter appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.