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Category Archives: Jewish Security

Gaza fighting continues, should you up your security game?

August 01, 2014

The ongoing military conflict between Israel and Hamas has lead to disturbing attacks on Jewish institutions abroad. While there are no specific threats to U.S. Jewish institutions or individuals, JCRC-NY recommends that Jewish institutions increase their levels of vigilance out of an abundance of caution.

  • Create a culture of security. Institutions shouldn’t merely subcontract security. Even buildings with well-trained security personnel shouldexpect that staff and constituencies should be part of the security equation. Everyone should have heightened vigilance in times like these. For tips on security awareness, click here and the ADL’s Guide to Detecting Surveillance of Jewish Institutions and 18 Best Practices for Jewish Institutional Security.
  • Be in contact with your local police.  Someone (or more than one) should have ongoing personal relationships with key police personnel. They should know you, your building and your organizational activities.
    • Discuss your security procedures with them and ask them for suggestions for improvement.
    • Inform them of the dates and times your regular events and of special events.
  • Revisit and review your security plans and procedures. 
    • Access control. Did you hear the one about a pro-Israel organization visited by a middle-aged, well-dressed woman saying that she wanted to make a contribution? They opened the door for her and a dozen protesters rushed in. Nine of the invaders were arrested. Are you vulnerable to such antics? Take the time to review your access control procedures. For more information and guidance see JCRC-NY’s Sample Building Access Policies & Procedures (PDF).
    • Bomb threats. Review your bomb threat procedures and make sure that your staff (especially those who answer the phones) know what is expected of them. For a range of resources from top agencies, including the FBI and the DHS guidance click here.
    • Suspicious packages. Is your staff aware that they should be on the lookout for suspicious packages? For USPS guidance click here.
    • Active shooters. See both quick pocket-card and in-depth resources from DHS, FBI and other agencies here.
  • Assess your cybersecurity. Over the past month the websites of several Jewish-affiliated organizations were hacked. Protect your organization. See Cybersecurity for Jewish organizations 101: an update and how to have inexpensive and effective backup and other plans at Resources to prepare your organization’s technology for a disaster.

Click here to contact JCRC-NY for further guidance and advice.

Resources and ADL backgrounder on shooter

April 14, 2014

As of now, all indications are that the gunman acted alone. However, any time that there is such an attack, analysts are concerned about copycat incidents. Out of an abundance of caution, the NYPD, and all of the police departments in the metropolitan area, are going to be giving Jewish institutions extra attention over the holidays.

ADL RELEASES BACKGROUNDER ON WHITE SUPREMACIST KANSAS JEWISH
COMMUNITY SHOOTER FRAZIER GLENN MILLER

New York, NY, April 14, 2014 …The shooter arrested in the killing of three individuals outside the Jewish institutions in Overland Park, Kansas is a white supremacist with a long history of promoting anti-Semitism and racism, according to a backgrounder released by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).

The suspect, identified by police as Frazier Cross, but who is also known as Frazier Glenn Miller (or simply Glenn Miller), is a white supremacist from southwest Missouri with a career in hatred and white supremacy that has spanned more than three decades. In the early 1980s, Glenn Miller was one of the more notorious white supremacists in the U.S., but he eventually ran afoul of both the federal government and members of his own movement and has spent the last decade at the periphery of the white supremacist movement.

“The shooting at the Kansas Jewish community centers is a sad and tragic event which reminds us where the spread of anti-Semitism and racism can lead,” said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director. “We recently issued a report which indicated that the number of anti-Semitic incidents in the United States had fallen precipitously over the past few years. So the statistics are good, and then you wake up in the morning and three people are dead because someone believed them to be Jews.”

ADL has reissued a security bulletin to synagogues and Jewish communal institutions across the United States urging them to review their security plans for the Passover holiday, which begins at sundown tonight.

Backgrounder: Frazier Glenn Miller

 

Originally from North Carolina, Frazier Glenn Miller began his career as a neo-Nazi in the mid-1970s, but soon switched to the Ku Klux Klan. He was present at an infamous shooting of left-wing activists by white supremacists in Greensboro in 1979 that left five dead, but was never charged with a crime.

By 1980, Miller had formed his own Klan group, the Carolina Knights of the Ku Klux Klan (later changed to the White Patriot Party), a large regional Klan group that drew notoriety for its paramilitary training exercises. Members of the group committed several hate crimes against African-Americans during the decade, while its second-in-command was convicted of a plot to purchase stolen weapons, ostensibly to target a civil rights organization. During this period, Miller was one of the more notorious white supremacists in the U.S.

The activities of Miller and his group eventually led to a federal court order prohibiting its paramilitary training. Rather than obey the order, Miller went underground with several followers in 1987 after issuing a “Declaration of War” that called for the “blood of our enemies [to] flood the streets.” Federal agents soon arrested Miller hiding out in the Ozarks in Missouri on charges related to his “Declaration” and explosives violations.

Miller eventually pleaded guilty to possession of a hand grenade and received a five-year sentence. He also agreed to testify against other prominent white supremacists in a sedition trial in Arkansas in 1988—this latter decision earned him the enmity of the majority of the white supremacist movement, which now considered him a traitor to the movement.

After getting out of prison in 1990, Miller moved to Iowa (later to Missouri) and became a truck driver. Largely ostracized by white supremacists, he laid low until the end of the decade, when he self-published his autobiography (A White Man Speaks Out). This marked a return to activism; by the early 2000s, Miller began purchasing advertising space in local newspapers in Missouri for racist and anti-Semitic screeds, followed by his own attempts to publish a “white-friendly” newspaper called The European-American.

In 2004, Miller allied with fellow Missouri white supremacist Alex Linder to produce a more grandiose white supremacist newspaper that they dubbed The Aryan Alternative. Only a couple of issues were published, but they were printed in large numbers, which were distributed by various white supremacists for years. Miller also tried running for office, receiving only two votes in his 2010 attempt at a U.S. Senate seat in Missouri.

Throughout the 2000s, Miller actively promoted his racist and anti-Semitic views online, but remained hampered by the hostility with which most of the white supremacist movement continued to view him. In the years prior to the Overland Park attacks, Miller was a perennial but peripheral figure within the world of white supremacy.

Shootings reported at 2 Jewish-related sites in Kansas

April 13, 2014

No additional information available yet, but there is nothing as of now to indicate that this is not an isolated incident. However, please take this opportunity to review your security arrangements for Passover. Stay tuned for more information.

 

By Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City

Our hearts go out to the families who have suffered loss on this tragic day. Our heartfelt gratitude as well to all those in Kansas City and around the world who have expressed sympathy, concern and support.

No shooting occurred inside the Jewish Community Center buildings; the shooting occurred in the parking lot of the Jewish Community Campus. Everyone participating in JCC programming has been released to their homes.

We will post more information following a debriefing at the Overland Park Police Command Center and a 5:00 p.m. press conference, which will be carried live.

In the meantime, the Jewish Community Center will be closed tomorrow. Again, our hearts go out to all those affected and touched by this terrible tragedy

Updates:

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – 5:40 PM EDT Three people are dead following multiple shootings at the Jewish Community Center and Village Shalom in Overland Park, Kan.

Overland Park Police confirm multiple shots were fired at the center, which is located at 5801 W 115th St., and Village Shalom, an assisted living center located at 5500 W. 123rd.

Police took one man into custody at the Valley Park Elementary at 123rd and Nall. The man was heard yelling “heil Hitler” as he was taken into custody.

A teenage boy is in critical condition at an area hospital.

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – 4:00PM EDT One person is in custody following multiple shootings reported at the Jewish Community Center in Overland Park and Village Shalom in Leawood.

Overland Park Police confirm multiple shots were fired at the center, which is located at 5801 W 115th St.Kan. and Village Shalom, a retirement home located at 5500 W. 123rd in Leawood. Both areas are currently on lockdown.

At least one person is dead, and another in critical condition following the shooting at JCC.

Police took one man into custody at the Valley Park Elementary at 123rd and Nall. The man was heard yelling “hail Hitler” as he was taken into custody.

A 41 Action News photographer on the scene spoke with a man who says another man pointed a gun at him and shot the windows out of his car. That person was not injured.

Police have not confirmed if there are any other victims, or the status of the gunman. But our photographer says he saw someone being taken away in an ambulance.

All JCC programs, classes, shows and auditions are canceled.

This story is developing and will be updated.

Copyright 2014 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Posted: Apr 13, 2014 2:27 PM EDTUpdated: Apr 13, 2014 3:16 PM EDT

By DeAnn Smith, Digital Content Manager – email

OVERLAND PARK, KS (KCTV) -Overland Park police are working shootings at two separate Jewish-related locations.A shooting was reported about 1 p.m. Sunday at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City, according to an Overland Park Fire Department spokesman. This happened at Lewis and Shirley White Theatre inside the center.Teens were auditioning for KC Superstar auditions and parents are frantically trying to get to their children.A second shooting was reported at Village Shalom, which is an assisted living center at 5500 West 123rd St.Worried relatives of residents tell KCTV5 that Village Shalom has been placed on lockdown.There were no immediate word on injuries or a suspect description.Phyllis Cantor, who is undergoing rehabilitation at Village Shalom, said she heard the sound of sirens. She said many police officers are at the scene and there focus appears to be on a white car in the parking lot.KCTV5 has multiple crews at the scene. Refresh this page for updates.

Copyright 2014 KCTV (Meredith Corp.) All rights reserved.

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – One person is in custody following multiple shootings reported at the Jewish Community Center in Overland Park and Village Shalom in Leawood.

Overland Park Police confirm multiple shots were fired at the center, which is located at 5801 W 115th St.Kan.

One person is in critical condition following the shooting at JCC.

Village Shalom, a retirement home located at 5500 W. 123rd in Leawood, along with the JCC is currently on lockdown.

A 41 Action News photographer on the scene spoke with a man who says another man pointed a gun at him and shot the windows out of his car. That person was not injured.

Police have not confirmed if there are any other victims, or the status of the gunman. But our photographer says he saw someone being taken away in an ambulance.

All JCC programs, classes, shows and auditions are canceled.

This story is developing and will be updated.

Copyright 2014 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

April 3 | Webinar on the NY Nonprofit Security Grant applications

March 26, 2014

Thursday, April 3, 2014
2:00 – 3:30 PM

The 2014 Nonprofit Security Grant application package will soon be available in New York. Join in a webinar, introduced by NY DHSES Commissioner Jerome Hauer. DHSES Program Representative Valerie Bloomer will discuss this year’s changes in the process (including pre-qualification) and the JCRC-NY’s David Pollock will talk about filling out the Investment Justification.

Reservations are required, space is limited. Click here to RSVP.

Join the meeting: https://join.me/jcrcnewyork

On a computer, use any browser with Flash. Nothing to download.
On a phone or tablet, launch the join.me app and enter meeting code: jcrcnewyork

Join the audio conference: 
Dial a phone number and enter access code, or connect via internet.

By phone: 
United States   +1.213.226.1066
Access Code   703-292-198#

By computer via internet: 

Join the meeting, click the phone icon and select ‘Call via internet’. A small download might be required.

Links for the presentations and all of the materials mentioned during the webinar will be available at www.jcrcny.org/securitygrants.

Threat, yes. Is it credible?

January 27, 2014

Today, Jewish organizations were made aware of an email threat sent to a national Jewish organization threatening violence.  It is unknown at this time if the threat is credible and no specific locations were named.

Given the nature of the email and threat of violence, law enforcement officials are actively investigating the threat. In light of the number of shootings at universities, schools, malls and other public places over the past several weeks (none of which had any Jewish connection), we are sharing this information out of an abundance of caution. We encourage Jewish organizations to increase security awareness and vigilance at your facilities, review security plans and ensure appropriate security measures are in place.

Action Steps

  • Connect with local law enforcement to discuss security. If you have not established personal relationships with key police personnel, set up a meeting to do so.
  • Ensure that your institution’s rules and procedures dealing with who gets into your facility and events are sufficient and are functioning (access control). See JCRC-NY’s Sample Building Access Policies & Procedures (PDF).
  • A facility should have as few entry points as possible (ideally one), so that no one is able to enter your facility without being greeted and observed. Be sure to obey all fire codes and ensure adequate routes for exiting the building.
  • Suspicious behavior should be promptly reported to the police or security personnel. See ADL’s Guide to Detecting Surveillance of Jewish Institutions.
  • Suspicious packages and strange devices should be promptly reported to the police or security personnel. See US Postal Inspection Service Guide to Mail Center Security (PDF).
  • Ensure that your staff members, including newly hired personnel, know their role in security and what to do in the event of an emergency.
  • Ensure that existing safety devices (video cameras, lights, walkie talkies, etc.) are in good working condition.
  • Trust your instincts. If something strikes you as being out of place or problematic, call the police immediately.

Jewish organizations should work to create a “culture of security” that balances keeping everyone and everything safe, with an organization’s need to be warm and welcoming. If your organization has a culture of security you will have a plan to implement when there is a threat.

Are you ready to start? The resources on JCRC-NY’s Security Info WebpageJCRC-NY’s Security Resources WebpageADL’s Security Website, ADL’s security manual Protecting Your Jewish Institution and Emergency Planning Manual: Disaster and Crisis Response Systems for Jewish Organizations, published by United Jewish Communities and written by John Jay College of Criminal Justice and JCRC-NY are great places to start.

Schumer, Gillibrand secure over $3.4 million for 39 at-risk Jewish organizations

September 04, 2013

SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND SECURE OVER $3.4 MILLION TO IMPROVE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS FOR RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS & ORGANIZATIONS IN-AND-AROUND NYC; GRANTS AWARDED TO 39 AT-RISK JEWISH SCHOOLS AND CONGREGATIONS

Schumer and Gillibrand Secured over 30% Of Total Funding For Organizations Based in New York – Out of the Total $10 Million Granted to Awardees Across the Country

The Awardees Include 39 Jewish Educational Institutions and Congregations; The Money Will Help These At-Risk Nonprofits For Security Preparedness

Schumer, Gillibrand: These Schools and Congregations are Vital Parts of our Community and Like Institutions Have Been Targeted Before; We Must Do All We Can to Protect All At-Risk Institutions

U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced that 39 New York Jewish organizations, including schools and congregations, and more have received a combined total of $3,425,148 for the 2013 fiscal year as Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) Awardees. The program, run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), awards federal funds to nonprofit organizations that are at a high risk of a national terrorist attack to encourage preparedness efforts.

“Would-be evildoers have previously targeted schools and congregations for attacks and that’s why FEMA’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program is critical in making sure that high-risk organizations like Jewish schools and congregations are safe and protected from terrorist attacks,” said Schumer. “It is especially important for organizations in and around New York City to receive this federal funding, which will go a long way to ensure that they are fully prepared for whatever may happen in the future.”

“New York’s religious institutions and non-profit organizations are the backbone of our communities,” Senator Gillibrand said. “No New Yorker, or American, should ever have to live or worship in fear of being targeted because of who they are or what they believe. As we have seen, New York City’s places of faith, worship and community gatherings continue to be targeted by hatred. These homeland security dollars will help arm our non-profits with the resources they need to guard us from attacks and keep us safe.”

The Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) is run under the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI). For the 2013 fiscal year, the UASI NSGP was budgeted $10 million. Only eligible nonprofit organizations, as described by the 501(c)(3) tax code of 1986, may apply for this grant. To be eligible, the nonprofit must be at high risk for an international terrorist attack and must be located in one of the designated urban areas throughout the country.

The 39 Jewish organizations that received funding from the New York City area are the Bay Terrace Jewish Center, Bnos Square of Williamsburg, Bnos Zion of Bobov, Boro Park Hatzolah, Chabad Israel Center of the Upper East Side, Chabad Lubavitch of Brooklyn Heights, Chabad of Great  Neck, East Meadow Jewish Center, Greater Five Towns YM & YWHA-DBA-JCC, Hatzolah of Williamsburg, Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway, Jewish Community Council of Greater Coney Island, Jewish Foundation School of Staten Island, Jewish Institute of Queens, Lincoln Square Synagogue, Magen David Yeshivah, Manetto Hill Jewish Center, Mayon Chai, North Shore Hebrew Academy, Old Westbury Hebrew Congregation, Park East Synagogue, Rabbi Arthur Schneier Park East Day School, Ramaz School, Shulamith School for Girls of Brooklyn, Sid Jacobson Jewish Community Center, Talmud Torah D’Nitra, Temple Israel of Great Neck, Temple Israel of Northern Westchester, The Bialystoker Synagogue, The Center for Jewish Life, United Talmudical Academy, Yeshiva Beth Hillel of Williamsburg, Yeshiva of Brooklyn, Yeshiva Tifereth Moshe, Yeshiva of Flatbush, Young Israel of Flatbush, Young Israel of Midwood, Young Israel of Woodmere and Young Mens and Young Womens Hebrew Association of Bronx.

More info on the NYS Sandy grant opportunity

August 01, 2013
Thanks to Edie Mesick of UJA-Federation of NY’s Government Relations Department for digesting and distributing information on this opportunity. The latest information can be found immediately below. Scroll down for the information on the grant.

Additional information has been posted by NYS OCFS on the Federal SSBG RFP opportunity for funding for certain Superstorm Sandy losses not covered by other resources. Use this link to view the Q&A post.

From our brief review, of particular interest are the following points:

  1. Houses of Worship and Parochial and private schools are eligible to apply for this funding (assuming that the services are provided to a population that was directly impacted by Sandy and that the program meets all other eligibility requirements).
  2. Insurance deductibles are eligible for reimbursement under the Sandy SSBG.
  3. For sites that were damaged that you rent, the entity responsible for the building would have to be an eligible applicant.

Use this link to view the bidder’s conference and access the PowerPoint used during the conference, for more insight that might help you in determining whether to apply for this funding.

Hint: In order to be considered for this grant all not-for-profit organizations must be prequalified in the Grants Gateway by the time of contract award. To register go here.


Superstorm Sandy Social Services Block Grant (SandySSBG)

NYS has $200,034,600 in federal Superstorm Sandy Social Services Block Grant (Sandy SSBG) funding for eligible health and human services providers. Sandy SSBG resources are dedicated to covering necessary expenses resulting from Superstorm Sandy, including social, health and mental health services for individuals, and for repair, renovation and rebuilding of health care facilities, mental hygiene facilities, child care facilities and other social services facilities.

Sandy SSBG funding must be used for costs that are 1) directly related to Superstorm Sandy and populations that were impacted by it; and 2) not reimbursed and not currently eligible for reimbursement by the federal government (including FEMA), private insurance and any other public or private funding sources. Duplication of benefits is prohibited. Read More More info on the NYS Sandy grant opportunity

Updated: Bomb Threat Guidance 2013

June 25, 2013

OBP_DHS DOJ Bomb Threat Guidance Image

Did you hear the one about a forgetful British bridegroom who made a hoax bomb threat rather than admit he’d neglected to book the venue for his wedding? He was sentenced to a year in jail.

What should you do if your organization receives a threat? The FBI and DHS released a new “pocket” bomb threat guidance document available here. It provides a two-page overview to help  you deal with bomb threats: planning and preparation, your “emergency toolkit”, what you should do if you receive a threat, how to assess the threat and the possible responses.

Now is a good time to review, or to think through your own plans. Our own Emergency Planning: Disaster and Crisis Response Systems for Jewish Organizations has a longer chapter discussing the issue. Learn how to handle a phone threat with this checklist.

Finally, read an New York Times account of an October 15, 2012 bomb threat (with an actual pipe bomb) to the Home Depot store in Huntington, NY. The store’s bomb threat plan was put to good use.

Conducting Security Assessments: A Guide for Schools and Houses of Worship

April 08, 2013

Key Dates: Wednesday, May 1, 2013 at 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. (EDT)

Background Information: In support of the Presidential Initiative on Reducing Gun Violence, this virtual roundtable explores how to assess and strengthen security at houses of worship and K-12 schools and will have representatives from the Department of Homeland Security and from religious and educational communities will discuss how to:

  • Develop assessment teams
  • Assess security measures
  • Create a culture of security throughout the institution

This free, online, interactive roundtable will include panel discussions, a question-and-answer session, and additional resources.

 Who should attend:

  • Leaders, administrators, staff, and volunteers from schools and houses of worship
  • Law enforcement and Federal, State, local, tribal, and territorial officials

See the resources page here.

 

Kudos to Manhattan DA and NYPD on synagogue bomb plot conviction

December 05, 2012
Mayor Bloomberg, DA Cy Vance and Police Commissioner Kelly announce the arrests of two plotting to blow up Manhattan synagogues.