Threats against synagogues and houses of worship are becoming more common. Faith leaders in Baltimore came together to train for the possibility of a life-threatening situation.Organizers said they hope no one ever needs to use the training they practiced Monday. But these threats are part of a new reality for houses of worship.”You like to say, ‘it’s not going to happen to you,’ but it could,” said congregant Larry Waskow.An active shooter situation or security threat can happen anywhere, and faith leaders like Rabbi Daniel Burg said houses of worship are increasingly becoming targets.”Those of us who work in congregations or serve as spiritual leaders need to think beyond learning our tradition, or beyond worship, to think about, ‘what are the security needs of our congregation?’ he said. The Baltimore Jewish Council hosted an active threat training session Monday night for people of all faiths. They gave tips to help everyone involved survive one of these scenarios.Stephanie Viegas works for Secure Community Network.”Better awareness equals faster reaction time. Faster reaction time improves your chance of survival if it comes down to that,” she said.Howard Libit is the executive director of the Baltimore Jewish Council. He said the toughest part of these situations is overcoming fear.”Obviously, our adrenaline is going to go up and we’re going to be scared, but to avoid paralysis, to be able to do our best to think clearly, and think about, ‘Do I run? Do I hide? Do I fight now? Do I stay safe?'” Libit said.The Jewish Council and many other synagogues now have security guards for protection. But leaders said they’re trying to strike a balance between safety and the desire to be welcoming.But ultimately, the more people who have training, the better the chance for survival.”If you remember the hostage situation at a Texas synagogue about a year ago, the rabbi and others credited the training with saving their lives,” Lisbit said.You can find tips on how to handle dangerous situations on the Secure Community Network website.
Threats against synagogues and houses of worship are becoming more common. Faith leaders in Baltimore came together to train for the possibility of a life-threatening situation.
Organizers said they hope no one ever needs to use the training they practiced Monday. But these threats are part of a new reality for houses of worship.
“You like to say, ‘it’s not going to happen to you,’ but it could,” said congregant Larry Waskow.
An active shooter situation or security threat can happen anywhere, and faith leaders like Rabbi Daniel Burg said houses of worship are increasingly becoming targets.
“Those of us who work in congregations or serve as spiritual leaders need to think beyond learning our tradition, or beyond worship, to think about, ‘what are the security needs of our congregation?’ he said.
The Baltimore Jewish Council hosted an active threat training session Monday night for people of all faiths. They gave tips to help everyone involved survive one of these scenarios.
Stephanie Viegas works for Secure Community Network.
“Better awareness equals faster reaction time. Faster reaction time improves your chance of survival if it comes down to that,” she said.
Howard Libit is the executive director of the Baltimore Jewish Council. He said the toughest part of these situations is overcoming fear.
“Obviously, our adrenaline is going to go up and we’re going to be scared, but to avoid paralysis, to be able to do our best to think clearly, and think about, ‘Do I run? Do I hide? Do I fight now? Do I stay safe?'” Libit said.
The Jewish Council and many other synagogues now have security guards for protection. But leaders said they’re trying to strike a balance between safety and the desire to be welcoming.
But ultimately, the more people who have training, the better the chance for survival.
“If you remember the hostage situation at a Texas synagogue about a year ago, the rabbi and others credited the training with saving their lives,” Lisbit said.
You can find tips on how to handle dangerous situations on the Secure Community Network website.
