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Ministry of Diaspora Affairs 
and private philanthropy 
in collaboration with the 
Jewish Federations of North 
America and the Security 
Community Network 
(SCN). While it has been 
effectively used in several 
other countries, this was the 
first training conducted in 
the United States.
“The timing is very good 
in light of the increase in 
antisemitic rhetoric and 
hate crimes we’re seeing,” 
Sikorski said.
The training sessions, 
which took place at Farber 
Hebrew Day School, 
Congregation Shaarey 
Zedek, Adat Shalom 
Synagogue and the Jewish 
Community Center, covered 

topics that included how to 
identify suspicious people 
and objects, monitoring 
access to synagogues, and 
how security volunteers and 
congregants can help.
“The primary goal of 
our training is to prevent 
an attack,” said Avidov 
Bernstein, executive director 
of CARE. “It can be some-
thing as simple as a locked 
door, anything that makes it 
difficult for an attacker.”

HOLIDAY SAFETY
According to CARE secu-
rity trainer Doron Shalev, 
the High Holidays are 
particularly risky because 
most synagogues are at full 
capacity, and the crowds 
often include out-of-town 
visitors and others who do 
not attend services regular-
ly. Another security chal-

lenge is that people tend 
to socialize outdoors and 
then return to the sanctuary 
during longer services.
Perpetrating a vio-
lent attack during Rosh 
Hashanah or Yom Kippur 
may motivate a terrorist 
with an antisemitic agenda 
who views the holidays as 
symbolic and desires the 
extensive publicity that will 
undoubtedly follow.
“The goal of a terrorist or 
attacker is to create fear and 
cause the maximum number 
of casualties,” Shalev said. 
“In a large synagogue it’s 
hard for [security] people to 
know who belongs. Access 
control is harder, and it’s 
more difficult to protect 
people outside.”

Shalev described three 
categories of suspicious per-
sons and the characteristics 
associated with each:
• The information gather-
er: This person is there to 
do surveillance for a future 
attack. These individuals 
may exhibit nervous behav-
iors such as fidgeting and 
looking around frequently. 
In addition to surveying 
entrances and other loca-
tions within the building, 
they may spend an unusual 
amount of time in the park-
ing lot and pretend to be 
on the phone if someone 
approaches. 
• The attacker(s): These 
individuals are there to exe-
cute an actual attack. They 
behave nervously and may 
be carrying a backpack or 
bag or wearing a coat or 
jacket in warm weather to 

Robert E. Paletz

Announces the Publication

of

A New Book

Available at:

Streaming Life: A Poetic Journey, written by
Robert E. Paletz, is a collection of poems that delve 
into the passion, pain and joy of life. Mr. Paletz was 
motivated to write poetry to make his own life, and 
the lives of others, happier and more fulfi
 lling with 
words and thoughts that could touch hearts and
stir feelings of well-being. The author sincerely hopes 
this will be your experience as you read
these heart-felt poems.

“IT’S INCUMBENT UPON 

ALL OF US TO BE ALERT.”

— GARY SIKORSKI
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY-WIDE SECURITY AT THE 
JEWISH FEDERATION OF METROPOLITAN DETROIT

