Tuesday's shooting comes on the
them to the nearby Temple Beth
heels of two other attacks that shook
Torah, while local television stations
the Jewish community.
provided live coverage. Police officers,
On June 18, arsonists set fire to
after putting their weapons in their
three northern California synagogues.
holsters following a search of the JCC
Two weeks later, on July 2, a gunman
campus, led a chain of children hold-
near Chicago shot six Jews during a
ing hands across a six-lane road, fol-
shooting spree aimed at minorities.
lowed by staff members carrying
After Tuesday's attack,
younger children.
the Jewish Community
After some children,
Centers Association of
smiling and looking
Rig-ht: Police escort
North America immedi-
carefree, refused to
children from the North
ately put out an action
leave the curb without
Valley Jewish Community
alert to the 275 centers,
Center in Grenada Hills,
holding an adult's
Calif, to safer ground
urging them to beef up
hand, additional police
after a gunman wounded
security and contact
officers stepped in and
five people at the center.
their local law enforce-
formed another line of
ment authorities,
children.
according to Robin
At the time of the
Ballin, marketing director of the
shooting, two classes from the com-
association. All Jewish community
munity center were touring the
centers receive a security manual
Simon Wiesenthal Center's Museum
from the association.
of Tolerance.
We had no reason to think that
Many Los Angeles residents
something like this could happen. We
received worried calls from relatives in
had no indications," said Jeff Rouss,
Israel and other countries, who had
executive director of the North Valley
followed reports of the shooting on
ICC. "We have stepped up security at
radio and television, sometimes even
our other sites," he said.
before local residents were aware of
He used the opportunity to call for
the situation.
gun control.
Saying he was speaking "as a Jew •
and as an American and as the direc-
tor of the Jewish community center,"
Rouss noted that this is an issue
about safety in our society. We must
do something about guns. We must
stop this. Let's protect our children.
Let's let them be children."
HARRY KIRSBAUM
In Washington, President Clinton
Staff Writer
told reporters at the White House,
"This is another senseless act of gun
hen a staff member at the
violence."
Jewish Community
Clinton added: "It calls on all of us
Campus in West
not only to give our thoughts and
Bloomfield saw the car
prayers to the victims and families,
unattended along a road near the center's
but to intensify our resolve to make
main building Tuesday, he called 911.
America a safer place."
The owner eventually was found; the
While many Jewish institutions were
car had only stalled. But the employee's
rethinking their security precautions
action — seemingly more appropriate
following the attack, most attention was
in Israel than in a Detroit suburb —
immediately focused on the victims.
was appropriate standard operating pro-
The North Valley JCC is one of
cedure, said David Sorkin, the JCC's
seven branches of the JCCs of
executive director, and not just a reac-
Greater Los Angeles. The injured stu-
tion to the shooting that day at a Jewish
dents were enrolled in a summer day
community center in Los Angeles.
camp at the center, according to par-
But the shooting and what it
ents and police.
might mean was very much on the
"It's. terrifying that somebody
minds of local parents, rabbis and
would randomly pick on innocent
officials of Jewish agencies. While
children," the mother of a 7-year-old
not wanting to live in fear, they said
said in an interview with KTLA,
prudence demanded that they be
another Los Angeles television station.
aware of the potential for violence
Immediately after the shooting in
Harry Kirsbaum can be reached at
the middle-class neighborhood of
Grenada Hills, police evacuated 22
(248) 354-6060, ext. 244, or by e-mail
children from the center and led
at hkirsbaum@thejewishnews.corn
In Jerusalem, Rabbi Michael
Melchior, the Israeli minister for
Diaspora relations and social affairs,
condemned what he called an "abhor-
rent attack."
Melchior said he is very concerned
at the recent upsurge in anti-Semitic
violence in the United States and
other parts of the world. He added
that he plans to meet with world
Jewish leaders in the near future to
discuss the situation and solutions to
the problem, such as education and
information campaigns.
Pushing
The
Alarm
Button
Local Jewish agencies heighten precautions after Los Angeles shooting.
even in the safest-seeming locale.
Larry Wolfe, JCC president, said
that Oak Park and West Bloomfield
police have put officers on overtime.
"Police cars are in the parking lots at
all times, with additional manpower
when children leave and arrive," he
said.
All doors, with-the exception of
entrances and other much-used
staff doors, will be locked, he said;
staff will be on hand at the doors
that must be left open.
This will continue indefinitely
Ilya Gerzan and grandson Andrew
"until we all feel a little relief," he
Gerzan, 7, at the JPM Building okf the
said.
Jewish
Community Center in Oa Park.
Sorkin emphasized that the cen-
ter's staff of 600-plus working in both
and the local chapter of the Anti-
the West Bloomfield and Oak Park facili-
Defamation League worked out proce-
ties during the summer months are its
dures
to boost security at agencies,
first line of defense. They are the best
organizations
and congregations and
eyes and ears in keeping an eye on, and
held
two
large
meetings to publicize
knowing what's supposed to be, right
the
measures.
and wrong," he said.
Gad-Harf said he is not sure that
David Gad-Harf, executive director
another
public meeting is warranted,
of the Jewish Community Council of
although
a meeting between local
Metropolitan Detroit, said that during
Jewish agencies and law enforcement is
the Gulf War in 1991, the Jewish
ALARM BUTTON on page 16
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit
8/1'
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Detroit Jewish News