Jews and Security

[debka_notion]

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.

Comments

[chinchillama.livejournal.com]

It may be based on a world wide perspective also, since I had the same thoughts as you until I moved over here. The shul has a caretaker who stands at the door and if he doesn't recognise someone it's like getting through El Al security - he quizzes people and locks the front door after a certain point in the service so only people who know how to get in the back way could even find him to get in. Also there is the Community Security Trust in all of the UK which keep tabs on shuls and Jewish events. It's normal people who go and get security training so they can react in case of emergency.

But yeah, I had never seen anything like it in the states.