12/31/2019
Reflecting On Violence Against Jews in New York
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In light of the ongoing and persistent attacks against Jews around the country and across the globe, our community is coming together in New York to demonstrate our collective resolve at the "No Hate. No Fear" Solidarity March in New York.
The march will begin on Sunday, January 5 at 11:00 am at Foley Square in Lower Manhattan for a march across the Brooklyn Bridge, followed by a rally in Columbus Park (near Cadman Plaza).
Join the Cleveland delegation on Sunday, January 5, 2020. Register Now >>
Dear Fellow Community Members,
The Jewish Federation of Cleveland is outraged at the recent violence against Jews in New York, including a vicious attack at a Chanukah celebration in a private home in Monsey. Anti-Semitism cannot and will not be accepted. Like all forms of hate, anti-Semitism is a societal problem and we must address it head on.
Now more than ever, we know that it is critical to protect our Jewish community here in Cleveland. We are thankful for the support of local law enforcement who have made our safety their priority. We are so appreciative of their continued collaboration with the Federation and our security provider, JFC Security, LLC. In the past year alone, we have made an effort to keep our local beneficiary agencies, synagogues, day schools, and community preschools safe.
As you may know, we have been investing significant resources into increasing the level of security available in Jewish Cleveland through JFC Security. In the past year alone, we have:
- Increased the number of highly trained armed guards at early childhood and preschool programs, schools, and synagogues, as well as patrolling the community
- Implemented sophisticated access control protocols at even more locations throughout Jewish Cleveland
- Trained more volunteer community members in life saving skills and to recognize the signs of potential threats
- Hosted a day-long tabletop training exercise – which included a simulated emergency planning session – for more than 130 law enforcement agents, synagogue representatives and Jewish community leaders
In addition to these and other measures, there are ways you can help keep Jewish Cleveland safe:
- Participate in safety training so you can be aware of your surroundings – such as looking for people and things that don’t belong or stand out from the norm – and know how to respond
- Lock the doors of your homes, businesses, and synagogues (which also should have a monitoring system at the entrance) whenever possible
- Most important: IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING BY CALLING 911 – we cannot stress this enough; it is always better to sound a false alarm than to ignore a potential threat to the Jewish community
If you’d like to learn more about other ways you can help keep our community safe, please contact Jim Hartnett, director of community-wide security, at (216) 593-2833 or jhartnett@jcfcleve.org.
We pray for an end to these anti-Semitic attacks, and we pray for a time when all people can celebrate, worship, and go about their daily routines in peace and safety. May 2020 be the year these prayers are answered.
Sincerely,
Join the Cleveland delegation on Sunday, January 5, 2020. Register Now >>
