Meeting the Moment: Updated Building Entry Procedure
Several friends and colleagues have reached out this week, and I’ve been genuinely grateful for their concern. Many have asked, ‘Are you doing okay?’ They have been following the news and seeing the rise in antisemitic incidents.
Like all Jewish institutions, we are actively engaging with our security committee, consulting with security experts, conducting ongoing audits, and working closely with law enforcement. We continue to provide staff training, and we are doing everything we possibly can to harden our facility, focusing on deterrence, updating emergency response protocols, and responding to the current environment. We are spending 60% more on security than we did just four years ago.
This week, we added another layer of access control at the main entrance, requiring fob access to enter the building. We are working hard to balance our identity as an inclusive community with the increased security needs of the moment. I want to express my appreciation to our staff, who have been working tirelessly to implement these new measures and who continue to volunteer extra time to greet our members and guests.
But our role as leaders in Jewish institutions at times like this extends beyond security. We are shouldering the anxieties, fears, and unsettling emotions that many carry with them in a world that feels scary and unpredictable. And even though the threat level may be higher in public spaces that are not specifically connected to the Jewish community, it doesn’t lessen the fear that some people have when attending Jewish institutions.
To my colleagues leading Jewish institutions – please take care of yourselves. Ask for help. Accept support. Make self‑care a priority. Come work out at the J—whatever it takes. We must put on our own oxygen masks first.
Still, we must not shrink from our communities. The power of community during challenging times cannot be underestimated. Our JCC is transforming lives every day, and we will continue to lean into our mission and the relationships we have with so many members and partners—Jewish and not Jewish—who stand with us.
Our Jewish communities are here, and we are not going anywhere!
