By Zalman Myer-Smith

As our children return to school and we prepare for Elul and Tishrei, there is a sense of excitement and renewal. Unfortunately, there is also a security reality that Jewish institutions cannot afford to ignore.

I have written “Back to Shul, Back to School” security articles for many years. The fundamentals remain the same: good locks, working cameras, trained security personnel, emergency plans, medical preparedness and strong relationships with law enforcement.

What has changed is the threat environment.

Antisemitism remains at extremely high levels. Jewish institutions face everything from harassment and vandalism to protests, arson, vehicle attacks, active assailants and terrorism. A threat may also begin online or with an individual who develops a fixation on a particular institution.

Chabad has an additional challenge: our buildings are meant to be open and welcoming. Security has to protect that mission without changing who we are.

The answer is not fear. It is preparation.

Go Back to the 4Ds

I continue to recommend a simple security model:

Deter. Detect. Delay. Defend.

Deter: Cameras, lighting, controlled entrances, signage, security personnel and trained volunteers make it clear that your location is not an easy target.

Detect: Cameras are important, but people often identify a threat first. Staff, teachers, volunteers and regular congregants should know what suspicious behavior looks like and how to report it.

Delay: Locked doors, gates, vestibules and other physical-security measures buy valuable time—time to call 911, initiate a lockdown and move people to safety.

Defend: Every institution needs a plan for what happens if the other layers fail. Who calls 911? Who initiates the lockdown? Who communicates with classrooms? Who meets responding officers? Who knows where the trauma kits and AED are?

These responsibilities must be decided before an emergency—not during one.

Start With the Basics

Institutions sometimes spend tens of thousands of dollars on sophisticated security equipment while ignoring a door that does not close properly.

Walk your property. Check whether exterior doors lock correctly, whether doors are being propped open, whether cameras are recording and whether exterior lighting is working. Determine whether someone could enter the building without being noticed.

Schools should pay particular attention to arrival and dismissal. The movement of hundreds of children, parents, buses and vehicles creates confusion and often weakens normal access-control procedures.

An attacker chooses when to act. He is unlikely to choose the moment when your security is strongest.

Security also begins outside the building. Look at parking lots, playgrounds, carpool areas and the places where people gather before and after davening. Consider whether a vehicle could easily enter a crowded pedestrian area.

Whenever possible, keep the problem outside.

Security Is a System, Not a Person

Professional security officers and law enforcement provide an important layer of protection. However, one officer standing at the front entrance does not make a building secure.

What happens when that officer is occupied with a visitor? Who is watching the other entrances? What happens during dismissal or when the officer takes a break?

Security must be a system, not a person.

Properly trained volunteer security teams can add another layer of protection, but they need clearly defined responsibilities, appropriate training and supervision.

Several congregants owning firearms is not, by itself, a security plan.

Medical Preparedness Matters

Not every emergency involves an attacker.

Every institution should have an AED, trauma kits and Stop the Bleed supplies. Just as importantly, people must know where that equipment is and how to use it.

Check expiration dates regularly and make sure emergency equipment remains accessible whenever the building is occupied. Seconds matter in a medical emergency just as they do during a security incident.

Don’t Wait for a Grant

Federal and state security grants have allowed thousands of Jewish institutions to improve their security. Organizations should continue pursuing every appropriate funding opportunity.
But do not wait for a grant to address a problem that needs to be fixed today.

Many worthwhile improvements cost little or nothing: locking a door, controlling keys, correcting a bad procedure, trimming vegetation that blocks a camera, updating emergency contacts, training staff or inviting local law enforcement to walk the property.

Fix what you can now while planning and seeking funding for larger projects.

What Can You Do in the Next 36 Hours?

Before Rosh Hashanah, set aside one hour and walk your entire property with fresh eyes.

Check every exterior door. Confirm that cameras are recording. Test alarms and radios. Look for places where someone could enter unnoticed. Inspect trauma kits and AEDs. Review lockdown procedures, update emergency contacts and speak with your local law enforcement agency.

Then ask yourself honestly: If something happened here tomorrow, are we prepared—or are we simply assuming it will not happen to us?

Prepared, Not Paranoid

Security should never make a Chabad House feel like a fortress.

We cannot allow antisemitism to make us afraid to go to shul, send our children to Jewish schools or identify proudly as Jews.

The Rebbe sent Shluchim around the world to illuminate their communities. Security protects that mission; it does not replace it.

We secure our schools so our children can learn. We protect our shuls so Jews can daven. We protect our Chabad Houses so every Jew continues to have a place where they are welcome.

As we prepare during Elul, check the mezuzos and take stock spiritually. At the same time, take an hour to check your physical security.

We cannot eliminate every threat. But we can Deter. Detect. Delay. Defend.

We can remain prepared, vigilant and proud—without being afraid.

Hashem is the ultimate Protector and, while like most things we must do our part, He should continue to protect us from those who wish to do harm.

Wishing a happy, healthy, sweet and safe New Year.

Zalman Myer-Smith is the Director of Security for Chabad of Florida and Lubavitch Educational Center in Miami. He has worked in Jewish communal security for more than three decades. He can be reached at [email protected].