Security is always on the minds of Jewish organizations, but it becomes especially important during the High Holiday season when synagogues experience a massive increase in the number of people attending services.
The topic of security has also become more ubiquitous with the rise in antisemitic incidents since the Oct. 7 attacks.
With that in mind, local Jewish organizations have been working closely with security personnel and law enforcement to ensure a safe and secure High Holiday season in Baltimore.
David Folderauer, the director of security for the Baltimore Jewish Council, said that he has been working alongside local organizations to do security assessments in preparation for the services.
“Throughout the year, I’m doing security assessments at facilities if they’re requested. And it certainly does ramp up once we get near High Holiday season,” Folderauer said.
Folderauer noted that he is there as a resource for the community. He regularly has discussions with synagogue leaders about how best to increase their security presence. Folderauer said that the assessments have been popular and that he’s been expanding beyond the greater Baltimore community and assisting places in Annapolis and Hagerstown, among others.
The point of the security assessments is to find potential vulnerabilities, according to Folderauer.
He added that one of the benefits of the assessments is the eligibility it opens for certain security grants, including the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which is set to provide nearly $275 million this year in funding for eligible nonprofits at risk of terroristic threats.
“[The extra funding] may be as simple as security guards. It could be fencing or windows or alarms, video [cameras], whatever. [The grant is] trying to help supplement the funding for that,” Folderauer said.
The community has also been in close collaboration with law enforcement, with the Baltimore City and County police departments meeting with Jewish leaders in the run-up to the holidays.
Baltimore City Police Deputy Commissioner Kevin Jones, who oversees the operations bureau, said that police leadership prepares for the Jewish holidays every year. Jones said that law enforcement recognizes that this is a vulnerable time for the Jewish community, and the department has a Jewish Liaison Unit consisting of one sergeant and two officers who work with the local Jewish community.
“What you’ll see is an increased visibility of police cars, and you’ll see an increased visibility of partnership with our neighborhood community officers,” Jones said.
Jones said that the department works with crime data to identify and plan for the upcoming year and make sure they have a “robust presence” and all “the right pieces in the right place at the right time.” Jones also gave general tips for people to use in staying safe.
He recommended that community members familiarize themselves with the paths they’d be taking, walk in groups of at least two people and be observant of things that look out of place.
Jones added that, on Shabbat or on a holiday, if people feel like they should contact police but can’t due to the holiday, they should go find a trusted neighbor who can help. He also said that people should make use of the various neighborhood watches and can contact the Jewish Liaison Unit.
Jones highlighted that the city and county police have been working closely together to ensure that the Jewish community feels safe during this holiday season.
“The reassurance from us is, we realize and understand [the Jewish community’s] concerns, but [they should know] that there is going to be an increase of police visibility. We’re providing them that sense of calm that we hear your concerns, and because of that, we’re addressing it on a heightened level,” Jones said.
Folderauer provided additional tips and encouraged people to trust their gut if they feel anything is out of place.
“The community knows its areas best, so it’s really important that if things are abnormal or out of the ordinary, they’re contacting law enforcement. They can always use me as a resource if they want to, but just make sure that we’re bringing to light these things that are unusual, so that it can be addressed. I think everybody wants to make sure that Jewish Baltimore is safe,” Folderauer said.
