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Security is a sensitive topic in the Jewish community, especially as anti-Jewish tension mount during Israel's military conflict with Hamas.

While it is important for community leaders to refrain from disclosing details that could put their communities at risk, for many, it is also useful to create a local and statewide security network through which organizations share information regarding potential threats -- as well as advice for year-round protection. Organizations such as the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the Jewish federations, and the Jewish Community Relations Councils (JCRC) educate synagogues on precautionary measures through a variety of media; they also refer leaders to security consultants for customized strategic planning, structural evaluation, and emergency evacuation procedures.

"Prudence dictates that all Jewish communal institutions take proactive steps to ensure that their security is operating effectively and at a level consistent with an increased threat," Etzion Neuer, regional director for ADL's New Jersey region, told The Jewish State.

One function of these organizations is to assist synagogues and other institutions in alerting citizens of danger. Neuer explained that synagogues, schools, and JCCs all have systems to contact their membership in case of emergency. Such systems are similar to those a school might use to notify parents of cancellations due to snow, which are sometimes technologically advanced and sometimes as simple as word-of-mouth.

"When the terrorist attacks happened in Mumbai, we immediately contacted all the synagogues and organizations in the area," said Stanley Stone, executive vice president of the Jewish Federation of Central New Jersey in Scotch Plains. "That was again done with the outbreak of the Israeli Gaza war." Central New Jersey's Jewish federation keeps a standard list of all the partnered agencies such as community centers, Jewish day schools, synagogues, and fellow federations.

By far, the most widely reported resource for external security was local law enforcement, and rabbis noted that this type of protection existed on two levels: long-term and emergency. Rabbis and other community leaders have developed close, ongoing relationships with the police departments for patrols and surveillance, and in the case of threats or actual crises, the police would be summoned.

"The Cranford Police Department is diligent about stopping by the synagogue on a regular basis and making sure everything appears to be safe here," said Rabbi Akiba Lubow of Cranford's Temple Beth-El Mekor Chayim.

According to Neuer, a close relationship between the local police jurisdictions and the Jewish institutions is vital, and such a bond could also extend to local and county officials. For synagogues, ADL recommends establishing a key contact within a law enforcement agency, and it offers support in organizing that relationship.

The Jewish Federation of Central New Jersey works closely with the Union County Prosecutor's Office as well as officials in Somerset County, Stone said. It has facilitated and encouraged meetings between police officers and community leaders to ensure communication and action.

"They (police officers) have been extremely responsive in coming out and stepping up patrol," Stone noted, adding that wherever there is a synagogue or institution, the local officers have diligently kept watch over the area.

Not only does the Jewish Federation of Central New Jersey assist synagogues in protection, but it also relies on those same sources for its own security. Stone reported that his organization, along with others in New Jersey, had undergone a review of security needs. "All of the law enforcement agencies have been responsive to make sure that the agencies are secure and safe, and have physically visited all of those agencies," he stated.

Many organizations feel confident with their current level of security and crisis planning, and are not making immediate changes to their programs. Others, however, have taken further precautions, including audits of building security and requests for more frequent police visits.

"Rutgers University [Police Department] is increasing its patrols of Jewish organizations in the area," said Rabbi Esther Reed, associate director for Jewish campus life at Rutgers Hillel in New Brunswick. "That includes Hillel. It includes the Chabad House. It also includes the Bildner Center for the Study of Jewish Life."

Besides teaming up with the Rutgers University Police Department and establishing a contact officer at the station, Reed has also reached out to the Department of Homeland Security as well as police departments at the county level. While Reed has taken measures for extra protection, she added that she has not experienced a threat during the Gaza attacks -- yet acknowledged that circumstances could always change. "I'm lucky in that I'm experienced," she said. "I know how to be proactive before a crisis happens."

Neuer views the recent Mumbai and Gaza attacks and terrorist alerts as evidence of a need for ongoing vigilance. "Although it is natural to become more serious about security during a crisis," he explained, "it is important for institutions to realize that security is a long-term process that cannot be effectively deployed only when there is an alert. It is important to review security procedures on a regular basis and to be continually thinking of ways to improve security."

Ron Rosenberg, security consultant for the United Synagogue of Hoboken, also stressed the importance of consistency.

"A security program is not a light switch that you turn on every time that there is something that goes on in the Middle East," he said, describing the security system as a "mindset" that an organization needs to have year-round. "You can ratchet it up during certain circumstances. It is, unfortunately, an integral part of synagogue operations."

According to Neuer, ADL is not only concerned with the safety and security of the Israeli people at this time, but also the local security implications generated by the conflict. "Whenever there is increased tension in the Middle East or military action involving Israel, we also see an increase in anti-Israel attitudes, anti-Israel expression, and anti-Israel activity," he explained. "All of this hostility results in an increased risk to Jewish communal institutions."

The threat of anti-Semitism has not deterred congregants from frequenting synagogues, according to Rabbi Dr. Bernhard Rosenberg of Congregation Beth-El in Edison. He has noticed no drop in service attendance due to security concerns, but mentioned that the topic of Gaza and anti-Semitism had become more common in shul discussions. "[In] my sermons, I have said that anti-Semitism is on the rise in America," he said. "I think there are two things happening; the economic tensions in America combined with the conflict in Israel have increased anti-Semitism here and in Europe."

The ADL Web site, www.adl.org, offers a collection of downloadable pdf files addressing subjects ranging from relationships with emergency personnel to crisis management. Neuer recommended the free downloadable booklet, "Protecting Your Jewish Institution: Security Strategies for Today's Dangerous World." This manual is intended to be a starting point for a conversation with organizations, staff members, lay leadership, and a security professional that can inspect the institution firsthand. Further safety information is available on the website of New York's JCRC, jcrcny.org.

After reviewing literature and assessing and addressing security needs, an institution may also seek out the services of a security consultant such as Hoboken's Rosenberg, who served two years in the Israeli military and has developed a keen eye for gaps in security. Although Rosenberg encourages the use of safety manuals, he stresses that the information must be tailored to each synagogue and organization.

"All the guides go into different levels of sophistication," he said, "and people need to think about those levels of sophistication depending on where they are located with regard to threats." While Rosenberg did not disclose any internal security measures of the United Synagogue of Hoboken or other synagogues he had assisted, he named several external measures a shul can take. "Generally, your first line of defense is your perimeter," he explained. "You basically try to keep trouble outside and not inside, and you do that by making sure your perimeter is secure by having your gates or your doors locked and controlled so you can vet whoever walks in." He also suggested creating a buffer zone around the building, keeping the front, side, and back areas clear of parked vehicles or other obstacles so that passing patrol cars have a clear view. So officers can better assess the building's security, he proposed inviting them to visit the synagogue. "I would recommend people actually spend time going through with the cops to show them how their property looks during different times of the day," he added.

Besides relying on local law enforcement, Ron Rosenberg also suggested involving the Fire Department, because "every synagogue needs to think about evacuation plans." Educating law enforcement and the fire department on Jewish life is also an issue. "What does Jewish law say about fires?" he asked. "Human life is of utmost concern, and then after [saving the people], if you can, save our Torah scrolls."

In spite of the danger and general inconvenience the threat of terrorism poses to Jews around the world, Neuer pointed out that the resulting fear can reinforce Jewish safety: "We're seeing a heightened sense of anxiety at some Jewish institutions, but I would suggest that this anxiety is not necessarily unhealthy if it is accompanied by a heightened sense of security awareness."