close
close

usmvgymvitalite

Real-time news, timeless knowledge

    • Four-point strategic plan for Jewish security
    bigrus

    Four-point strategic plan for Jewish security

    Harry Posted on

    Local and global events following the horrific incident October 7 terrorist attack We have highlighted a sobering truth for Jews around the world: The threats we face are real and unrelenting. While law enforcement and political levels generally support us and work well with us, the reality is that the Jewish community must take action to ensure our own safety.

    The proof is in the numbers. Even though Jews make up only 2% of the U.S. population, we accounted for 68% of all religion-based hate crimes reported in 2023.

    Locally, the most densely populated Jewish neighborhood Los Angeles – Pico-Robertson – It is a constant flashpoint for violence, with Jews being shot as they leave prayers and blocked as they try to enter synagogues.

    According to the latest survey of Jewish Federations, LA Jewry are twice as concerned about public safety as the general public; this number doubles again for Jews who wear visible Jewish symbols (kippa, Star of David, etc.). Moreover, nearly all Jews (98%) feel safer when there is security in Jewish institutions.

    As president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles, a Jewish organization that advances Jewish life in the city with the second largest Jewish population outside Israel, I recognize the scope of this issue. Our Federation has a strategy to create a security infrastructure that will best protect our community.

    American and Israeli Jews (Explanatory) (Source: REUTERS)

    The backbone of this infrastructure is the Community Security Initiative (CSI), which has a unique role in protecting every Jewish school, synagogue, summer camp, and organization in Los Angeles and serves as a single point of contact for the coordination of critical incidents. Information sharing, safety and security training, and resources for Jewish institutions in Los Angeles.

    Designed in coordination with law enforcement, our strategy is built on four pillars: education, physical risk assessments, information sharing and analysis, and advocacy. We believe this common-sense security strategy for keeping Los Angeles Jews safe can be replicated in communities across the country.

    Education

    CSI provides Jewish institutions with cutting-edge safety and security training to make their employees and sites more difficult targets. All trainings are free and cover topics such as advanced situational awareness, behavioral analysis, suspicious activity reporting, surveillance detection, active shooter reduction, improvised explosive device detection, emergency planning and disaster preparedness.

    Physical risk assessments

    CSI evaluates an organization’s physical security footprint and identifies key vulnerabilities through an on-site security assessment. CSI then prepares a site vulnerability report that includes observations and many zero-cost options to improve the organization’s security.

    Information sharing and analysis

    The CSI Analysis Center shares information with local, state and federal law enforcement, as well as local security agencies, to identify potential threats to our community. CSI intelligence analysts provide 24/7 threat monitoring and analysis that is routinely deployed to Jewish institutions.

    Stay up to date with the latest news!

    Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter

    advocacy

    Our close ties with elected leaders allow us to effectively support legislation to protect our community. One of the best examples of this was the law created by the Los Angeles City Council to establish bubble zones around houses of worship in the wake of the Pico-Robertson violence.

    Protecting our community is foundational to ensuring that Jews feel safe enough to express their First Amendment rights like others in America. Through our four pillars, we implement strategies that work and have been vetted by experts. We hope this model serves as an example and inspiration that other communities will use to ensure safety and enable Judaism to flourish with joy.

    The author, a rabbi, is president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles.



    Harry
    View all posts

    You Might Also Like