Before the Crisis

by Stephanie P. Newbold

Ensuring public safety has become one of the most important priorities for public, private, and nonprofit organizations across the United States, and Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ is no exception. The recent uptick in anti-Semitic attacks on Jewish institutions led our Federation leadership to focus on what our responsibility for securing the community entailed. Greater MetroWest encompasses a wealth of Jewish institutions, including not only JCCs, synagogues, social service agencies, and the like, but also kosher butchers, bakeries, and restaurants.

“We needed the ability to connect the dots across five counties to help raise awareness and capacity,” said past Federation president Leslie Dannin Rosenthal. “Federation was uniquely positioned to address common concerns relating to improved security and safety on a large scale.” 

Federation professionals and lay leaders began discussing security in our community as early as 2014. The Federation Board of Trustees approved funding to address these safety concerns by 2016 and, a year later, hired 30-year law enforcement veteran Robert (Bob) Wilson as its first chief security officer. Under Bob’s guidance, we have upgraded a variety of mechanisms to improve safety, decrease potential vulnerabilities, and create an alert system that enables more effective and efficient communications if a crisis arises. 

“I’ve had the opportunity to go out into the community and get a real sense of the vulnerabilities that exist,” said Bob. For some synagogues, for instance, solutions were often simple and included making improvements in lighting, locks, cameras, and building entrances and exits. Federation offered a Synagogue Security Grant, which provided matching grants of $2,500 per institution for 20 synagogues within Greater MetroWest to improve their security.

Our initiatives also help build connections within our community. “Our relationships are only getting better over time,” he said. “I like to think of my department as a triangle that connects Federation with its agencies, synagogues, and law enforcement.”

By creating and sustaining networks of trust with local law enforcement officials, we are working towards greater reciprocity between our Jewish community and those who serve as our first line of defense. This also ensures that we have more productive, engaged interaction with police than just in times of crisis. To build on this initiative, Bob is working to ensure that every synagogue is connected with at least one local law enforcement official in its jurisdiction. He is also requiring leaders and administrators in every Jewish institution to know about evacuation protocol, appropriate response tactics to outside threats, and procedures for locking down and securing facilities during emergencies. 

One such incident occurred in January 2017, when the JCC of Central New Jersey and the JCC MetroWest both received bomb threats amid a rash of threats to Jewish centers nationwide. The situation coincided with Bob Wilson’s arrival, validating Federation’s emphasis on being proactive about putting a security plan in place. “If there was any question about whether my position was needed, it was validated by the bomb threats,” Bob said.

That period reminded Jennifer Mamlet, Executive Director of the JCC of Central NJ, about the value of the JCC’s partnership with Federation. After the bomb threats, Federation provided one-time emergency grants totaling $133,000 to the JCC of Central NJ, JCC MetroWest, and YM-YWHA of Union County to help offset their additional security costs. This grant from Federation enabled the JCC of Central NJ to hire security personnel. 

Jennifer also values Bob’s position as an additional resource and partner. “He has helped coordinate security assessments of our campus and educates us about new measures that could be done to help improve the security of our campus,” she said. “But he also shares intelligence within our broader community. He has an eye towards creating a network amongst the various Jewish agencies.”

Jennifer reported that the JCC of Central NJ is a far more secure campus than it was several years ago and that is critical in safely serving their membership and the community.

“Security is the top priority for our members,” said Jennifer. “When parents drop off their kids at our pre-school, when members come to work out, or when seniors come for lunch, they all want to feel safe.” Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest takes safety and security seriously. Although we cannot eliminate future acts of hatred or violence targeted towards us, we can ensure that every sector of our community is as well-protected and prepared as possible.

“We often hear stories about the difference that our Jewish Federation makes overseas,” said Jennifer. “But we also need to continue to tell stories of the impact Federation makes locally. For our JCC in Scotch Plains, our partnership with Federation is invaluable.”

For more information about Federation’s Community Security Initiative, visit its website here.