SYNAGOGUE SECURITY 
Union Resources for Your Congregation

The shootings at the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle this summer are an all too troubling reminder that our synagogues must remain vigilant in their efforts to ensure the safety and security of members, employees and visitors, as well as the physical facilities of our spiritual homes. With that in mind, you may wish to re-visit some of the resources provided below. Although many of these materials were compiled after the 9/11 attacks, the information remains current and consistent with what law enforcement officials recommend today.

If you have not already done so, we urge you to be in contact with your community’s law enforcement agencies to review your security procedures and to revise and/or update them if necessary. It is important that local law enforcement agencies be familiar with you and your congregational activities, as well as with the synagogue facilities and their usage.

The following links provide resources that can help you and your congregation ensure the safety of all who visit:

• Read this checklist to assist you as you review current security plans and consider further actions, which is part of the Union’s publication entitled Maintaining Your Holy Place: Synagogue Facilities (page 7). (Please note that this is a large document and may take a few minutes to download.)
  
  
• The RAC has compiled a variety of resources on its website. Of particular interest may be these: 
  • The ADL's on-line publication entitled Keeping Your Synagogue Safe (PDF)
  • A listing of FBI field offices
  • Information from the ADL about maintaining safe and welcoming synagogues
    
    
• The Union's Communicate! program resource bank contains more than 2300 ideas and programs that have been successfully implemented in Union congregations. Use the key words safety or security to find examples of congregational emergency manuals and security procedures.