Jews and Security

I was just reading a blog post about the recent shooting in Seattle and the long history of security measures around Jewish organizations. I was struck by how the author was reacting about "how did the guy get through security"- I've never seen security around a Jewish Federation, or anything like it. When I was out on the West Coast last summer, there was a security guard at every shul I saw, nearly- and it was the middle of the summer, no major holidays. I live near two shuls at home, and have worked at the Yale Hillel building, which also has Shabbat minyanim year round, and none of these, nor any of the shuls that I've been to in the Boston area have constant security guards, certainly not visible ones. There's maintenance staff, but no security staff. Sure, there are cops to direct traffic and parking around the shul I grew up at on the High Holidays, but that's it. When some idiot spray-painted swastikas on that shul and broke windows, whoever came in first called the cops. There's now a security system and a buzzer to get in during weekdays- but that's it (and it was installed only a few years ago, probably 7 or 8 years after that incident.) I'm not sure where this assumption that Jewish buildings have security personnel comes from.

Jews and Security

I was just reading a blog post about the recent shooting in Seattle and the long history of security measures around Jewish organizations. I was struck by how the author was reacting about "how did the guy get through security"- I've never seen security around a Jewish Federation, or anything like it. When I was out on the West Coast last summer, there was a security guard at every shul I saw, nearly- and it was the middle of the summer, no major holidays. I live near two shuls at home, and have worked at the Yale Hillel building, which also has Shabbat minyanim year round, and none of these, nor any of the shuls that I've been to in the Boston area have constant security guards, certainly not visible ones. There's maintenance staff, but no security staff. Sure, there are cops to direct traffic and parking around the shul I grew up at on the High Holidays, but that's it. When some idiot spray-painted swastikas on that shul and broke windows, whoever came in first called the cops. There's now a security system and a buzzer to get in during weekdays- but that's it (and it was installed only a few years ago, probably 7 or 8 years after that incident.) I'm not sure where this assumption that Jewish buildings have security personnel comes from.

Shabbat

I spent Shabbos with friends in Newton and their kids. I've been over there before, so it was pretty comfortable: we had dinner and went to bed early (well, it was late for their kids, but pretty early for me) Friday night. I left for shul a good bit earlier than they did in the morning, after hanging around with the kids for a bit first. As usual when I visit that minyan, I ran into a bunch of people I knew: yemeknight's parents (who told me his good news on the job front before he got to), R. Winick and family, and some folks I knew from Brandeis, casually- who my host promptly tried to invite back for lunch, although they had other plans already. So we walked back, ate lunch and rested for a while. Then we went to the playground (where I got quite a workout lifting their younger kid up things he was too little to climb so that he could go down the assorted slides), just missed mincha at Chabad, but stayed for seudat shlishit, and then one of my hosts and their younger child went home and the other host and older child and I stayed for ma'ariv. It was a very nice time over all.

WHen we got home from shul, Steve was lamenting their inability to find guests for Shabbos lunch. We had a discussion of how one needs to plan in advance to have people over usually rather than just inviting everyone you talk to at shul back, and how calling at 4:30 Friday afternoon doesn't really count as planning in advance. And then I asked what I counted as, and they sort of turned around and went "wait, yeah, we do have a guest", and then said something along the lines of me being practically family: I'd stayed over before, babysat for them, and when I come over I help out. It was surprisingly touching.

Shabbat

I spent Shabbos with friends in Newton and their kids. I've been over there before, so it was pretty comfortable: we had dinner and went to bed early (well, it was late for their kids, but pretty early for me) Friday night. I left for shul a good bit earlier than they did in the morning, after hanging around with the kids for a bit first. As usual when I visit that minyan, I ran into a bunch of people I knew: yemeknight's parents (who told me his good news on the job front before he got to), R. Winick and family, and some folks I knew from Brandeis, casually- who my host promptly tried to invite back for lunch, although they had other plans already. So we walked back, ate lunch and rested for a while. Then we went to the playground (where I got quite a workout lifting their younger kid up things he was too little to climb so that he could go down the assorted slides), just missed mincha at Chabad, but stayed for seudat shlishit, and then one of my hosts and their younger child went home and the other host and older child and I stayed for ma'ariv. It was a very nice time over all.

WHen we got home from shul, Steve was lamenting their inability to find guests for Shabbos lunch. We had a discussion of how one needs to plan in advance to have people over usually rather than just inviting everyone you talk to at shul back, and how calling at 4:30 Friday afternoon doesn't really count as planning in advance. And then I asked what I counted as, and they sort of turned around and went "wait, yeah, we do have a guest", and then said something along the lines of me being practically family: I'd stayed over before, babysat for them, and when I come over I help out. It was surprisingly touching.