16 | SEPTEMBER 2 • 2021 

OUR
COMMUNITY

continued from page 15

conceal a weapon.
• The suicide bomber: This 
person will usually be wear-
ing a coat or jacket to hide an 
explosive device but is oth-
erwise surprisingly calm and 
focused. 

RISING SUSPICION
Suspicious objects may 
include unattended backpacks, 
satchels, purses or even paper 
or plastic grocery bags. 
According to CARE proto-
col, congregants or security 
volunteers who see a suspi-
cious person or object should 
avoid any direct confrontation 
and immediately report the 
situation to professional secu-
rity personnel or someone in 
authority. Under no circum-
stances should a “civilian” 
approach a stranger or pick up 
a questionable item.
Shalev believes creating 
and maintaining a safe envi-
ronment requires three main 
components: professional 
security personnel, physical 
deterrents such as gates, cam-
eras and alarm systems, and 
the awareness of the people 
in the community. He recom-
mends applying these criteria 
to non-religious settings such 
as schools, where everyone 
should be encouraged to adopt 
a security mindset.
“Parents of school-age kids 
need to take responsibility and 
teach their kids to be more 
aware,” he said.
Security volunteers from the 
community provide an added 
level of protection because 
they are familiar with many 
of the congregants and can 
identify suspicious individuals 
before they enter the building.
“When armed professionals 
are your only form of securi-

ty, it can turn into a gunfight 
where each side has a 50/50 
chance of winning,” Sikorski 
said. “
A gun can be a good 
resource in the right situa-
tion, but it’s better to prevent 
a showdown with effective 
access control and layered 
security.” 

THWARTING ATTACKS
Regarding fire-
arms, Michigan 
law allows a 
synagogue board 
member to grant 
permission for 
a congregant 
to carry a gun 

into the sanctuary. In these 
instances, synagogues use a 
selective process that requires 
the person to be trained and 
vetted, according to Joey 
Selesny, former chair of the 
security committee at Young 
Israel of Southfield and a 
member of Federation’s securi-
ty committee.
Selesny believes there are 
readily available alternatives 
to firearms that can be used to 
thwart an attacker.
“There are chairs and 
books throughout the room 
— throw them,” he said, 
adding that stringent access 
control, including question-

ing unknown people, is also 
crucial.
Unfortunately, there are 
situations where a terrorist 
prevails despite the utmost 
security protocols. To miti-
gate harm, CARE consultants 
encourage synagogues to cre-
ate a safe area where congre-
gants can gather in the event 
of an attack or active shooting 
incident. The preferred option 
is a dedicated room without 
windows, equipped with 
water, flashlights, first aid kit, 
radios and a landline phone. 

CRISIS MANAGEMENT
In addition to communal 
safety education and training, 
CARE consultants, in partner-
ship with the Israel Trauma 
Coalition, help communities 
strengthen psychological resil-
ience in the aftermath of an 
attack. 
“We provide crisis manage-
ment and teach people how 
to deal with trauma,” said 
Bernstein. “We advise them on 
what to do two minutes after 
an attack, two hours after that 
and then two days, two weeks 
and even months and years 
later.”
During their stay, the CARE 
consultants conducted secu-
rity assessments of some local 
synagogues and recommended 
ways to enhance 
the measures 
already in place.
“We’re always 
looking for new 
ways to keep 
people safe, so 
we were glad to 
learn about the best ways to 
handle difficult situations,” 
said Bob Rich, executive 
director of Congregation 
Shaarey Zedek. 

Joey 
Selesny

Bob Rich

“THE PRIMARY GOAL
OF OUR TRAINING IS TO

PREVENT AN ATTACK.”

— AVIDOV BERNSTEIN
 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF CARE

CARE security consultant 
Doron Shalev conducts a 
training session at Farber 
Hebrew Day School

PHOTO BY AARON TOBIN. 

