at1024-4

Mitchell D. Silber

Major City Jewish Security Directors Summit Held in New York Days After Failed Alleged Attack Against Jews

Two major Jewish security groups, Community Security Initiative New York (CSI-NY) and Community Security Initiative Los Angeles (CSI-LA), held a summit for Jewish security heads from more than fifteen major cities across the U.S. on September 10 and 11 in New York. The summit facilitated discussions and collaborations that will continue to strengthen the collective response to emerging threats, including both the ADL’s Center on Extremism (ADL) and the Community Security Service (CSS).

“Just a week before the summit, Canadian law enforcement agencies, working in close partnership with the NY-FBI Field Office and NY-Joint Terrorism Task Force, arrested a man for plotting to murder Jews in New York. That arrest is just one example of the current environment. Furthering collaboration and sharing best practices enable all our programs to better secure our communities and our institutions,” said Mitchell D. Silber, executive director, Community Security Initiative New York.

“As threats facing Jewish communities continue to evolve, this tight-knit working group’s commitment to collaboration, technology integration, and shared learning will be vital in ensuring the safety and security of Jewish life in the United States,” said Alexander Zaytsev, vice president, Community Security Initiative Los Angeles.

The summit addressed the most pressing security concerns facing Jewish communities today. Highlights included:

Major City Law Enforcement Panel: Featuring law enforcement personnel from Boston, Los Angeles, and New York, the panel discussed coordination of intelligence and counterterrorism efforts across major cities.

Technology Integration: In addition to visiting the ADL Center on Extremism, attendees discussed the integration of new technologies to improve community security.

Leadership Discussions: A threat briefing was presented by Dr. Matthew Levitt, an expert on Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iranian external operations and current director of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy’s Jeanette and Eli Reinhard Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence.

The Community Security Initiative (CSI) is the security initiative founded by the UJA Federation and Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, dedicated to enhancing the safety and security of Jewish communities through proactive measures and collaborative efforts. CSI is a comprehensive program to protect and enhance the security for Jewish communities and institutions in the greater New York City metro area from Montauk to Albany, including Southwest Connecticut (www.csiny.org).

JFEDLA acts on shared values to create safe, joyful, and connected Jewish life in Los Angeles, Israel, and around the world. CSI-LA was launched in 2012 to combat the rising threat of terrorism and to bridge the gap between law enforcement and the Jewish community and serves a unique role in its protection of every school, synagogue, summer camp, and nonprofit organization in Jewish Los Angeles.