Tips to Stay Safe During the High Holidays

With the High Holidays quickly approaching, many of us are looking forward to this annual time of celebration and togetherness with family and friends.

This year, planning for the Jewish holidays also includes the acknowledgement and shadow cast by the one-year anniversary of the horrific October 7th attacks in Israel and the continued conflict in the Middle East — exacerbated by the confirmation this Shabbat of Hezbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah’s death at the hands of Israeli Defense Forces which is sure to escalate tensions and anxiety at home and abroad. And most acutely, the continuous parade of news stories, social media posts, and emails about incidents targeting Jews and Israelis in North America, with an exponential increase in antisemitic and anti-Zionist behavior.

As a community, we are operating under a heightened threat environment, although let me be clear that there are no known credible threats agains our community at this time. Recently, at a Together and Secure community security training, JShield’s Executive Director Rusty Rosenthal said, “It’s a confluence of events that we wanted to make sure people are thinking of, and aware of security, as they continue to engage in their Jewish life.”

The JCC, synagogues and other Jewish institutions are continually balancing our desire to be a warm, welcoming community with the need for heightened security. The JCC and others have layers of security, some of which are visible and some that are not. The idea is for Jews and others to walk into any one of these places and feel welcomed and safe so they may worship, play, and be together without fear.

So what can you do as an individual or family during this time?

• Support and follow organizations’ security policies. The most expensive security systems are useless if one person props a door or lets in an unvetted individual.
• Practice good situational awareness. Be aware of your surroundings whether at home, at work, out in public or at the JCC, shul, or other Jewish location. Know to whom you should report suspicious activity. If you are unsure, call your local police department for guidance.
• Have a personal and family plan in case of emergency. It’s easy to think about the worst case active threat incident but individuals and families should have plans for all types of emergencies such as fire, medical, severe weather, utility outages, as well as those involving violence.
• Report incidents to your local police and to JShield using their Incident Report Form.
• Participate in trainings to further your knowledge and skills. The Pozez JCC and JShield offer a wide array of opportunities including Situational Awareness, De-escalation, Usher/Greeter, Stop the Bleed, and others. If you have questions, contact security@theJ.org.

By practicing these few safety tips, we can be safe and secure during this time and left with an opportunity to celebrate as a community and reflect and mourn those who we have lost. If you have any questions about security, please reach out.

Shana Tova