Danielle V. Minson — Raising the Bar
Our Community and Security during Turbulent Times
By Shep Englander, CEO, Jewish Federation of Cincinnati and Tedd Friedman, President of the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati
In recent weeks, more than 150 Jewish community centers, schools, and other institutions in the United States have been the targets of bomb threats; Jewish cemeteries have been desecrated. And a swastika was painted on our own Hebrew Union College.
Our friends and neighbors have rallied around us. In response to the bomb threat at our Mayerson JCC, students from St. Ursula Academy and parishioners at St. Francis De Sales sent banners of solidarity. And the imam of the Clifton Mosque called to say that his community is ready to stand and protect our JCC. These expressions of support do not erase the acts of hate. But they do provide us solace.
In response to these increased threats, we have increased our longstanding efforts to provide Jewish Cincinnati security through SAFE Cincinnati. Here are some key initiatives you should know about:
SAFE Cincinnati: The Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati and the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati launched SAFE Cincinnati more than five years ago to ensure that Jewish Cincinnati is on guard against attacks, remains prepared for emergencies, and is a model of vigilance.
- All Cincinnati Jewish agencies and congregations participate in SAFE. Recently, in response to the recent vandalism at Jewish cemeteries in St. Louis, Philadelphia, and Rochester, we worked with law enforcement officials to take preventative measures to maintain the safety of our cemeteries and to keep them free of vandalism.
- Through Foundation grants, more than 40 Jewish community facilities have received physical security upgrades—installing cameras, lighting, locks, fences, and boulders.
- SAFE Cincinnati:
- Has provided dozens of trainings, with FBI and other experts on security procedures and natural disaster and other crisis response.
- Has created new ways to track and report suspicious activity.
- Maintains daily communications with local, state, and federal law enforcement.
- Convened a new SAFE advisory committee that includes experts on emergency response, terrorism, and cybersecurity.
Secure Community Network: Together with Jewish Federations across the country, we participate in the Secure Community Network (SCN), which coordinates security strategy and response across the US and Canada.
SCN functions as the bridge between the Jewish community and Homeland Security and the FBI to alert Jewish institutions to trends and threats. SCN ensures that our security continues to remain a focus of intelligence and law enforcement agencies. SAFE Cincinnati constantly monitors SCN alerts, sharing them as needed. Sadly, last week, SCN reported that the frequency of reported antisemitic harassment in the US has roughly doubled in 2017, compared to 2016.
The Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) builds strong alliances throughout broader Cincinnati, especially among our interfaith partners, who actively support our JCRC’s role of confronting bigotry and antisemitism.
The JCRC collaborates with SAFE Cincinnati and with our elected officials and civic leaders about key concerns of Jewish Cincinnati. The JCRC has partnered with Cincinnati City Council and the Hamilton County Commissioners, who have publicly condemned any and all acts of antisemitism. US Senators Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman and US Representatives Brad Wenstrup and Steve Chabot have also condemned all antisemitic acts and are working actively to counter antisemitism.
Please join our community at an upcoming community forum at 7 pm on Tuesday, March 14 at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion on “Combatting Antisemitism and Religious Intolerance in Our Community,” which our Jewish Community Relations Council is cosponsoring with the American Jewish Committee, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, and many other partners.
As always, please remain vigilant, not fearful. And create an environment of “see something, say something.” If you see suspicious activity, call law enforcement and then report to SAFE Cincinnati at www.safecincinnati.org.
Despite these troubling events, Cincinnati’s Jewish community is thriving. We must be security-minded. And we must also refuse to let cowardly acts distract us from our mission of creating the most vibrant and inclusive community possible.
For ongoing updates, follow our Jewish Community Relations Council on Facebook. If you have questions or concerns about any of this, please contact us at senglander@jfedcin.org.
