Pictured: Rob Allen, Director of Security (right), Patrick King, Deputy Director of Security (left) with a JCRC Community Security patrol vehicle.

*Editors note: Starting last night, Israel began striking the Islamic Republic of Iran, as its ambitions of building a nuclear weapon were nearing the point of no return. JCRC Security is working closely with law enforcement to monitor for any potential domestic reactions to these events. We encourage our community to remain vigilant while continuing usual activities with strength and unity.

By Rob Allen 
Director of Community Security

June 13, 2025

An arson attack at the home of the Jewish Governor of Pennsylvania. The cold-blooded murder of two Israeli embassy staffers on the streets of our Capitol. A firebomb attack on a peaceful march remembering the hostages taken by Hamas on October 7.

These horrible events come amid a broader and disturbing trend: a sharp rise in antisemitism fueled by a triple threat of far-right, far-left, and Islamist extremists.

The security challenges facing our Jewish community are very real — and JCRC is working every day to help keep us safe.

We participate in multiple intelligence briefings each week and continuously adjust our strategies to address emerging threats. We have adopted state-of-the-art technology to monitor the safety of our community. We help community organizations implement best practices in security, procure effective technology, and stay vigilant to prevent threats from becoming reality.

Our security team provides targeted, high-impact security patrols in areas where we have the largest concentrations of people and organizations. These patrols serve three key purposes: they provide a visible deterrent to those who might wish to do harm; they reassure the community that trained professionals are watching out for their safety; and they help detect unsafe conditions.

In areas where we do not have the capacity to deploy our own patrols — particularly outside the Twin Cities metro — we work closely with local law enforcement to ensure they are aware of potential threats and take appropriate action to mitigate them.

We are often asked: what can individuals do to help make the community safer?

The unfortunate reality is that in nearly every attack on Jewish communities across the country, there were missed opportunities to intervene. After-action reports often include chilling phrases such as: “the attacker was pacing in the area before the attack.”

As a community, we must strive to remain welcoming — while also staying aware of our surroundings. We must be willing to act on curiosity: “Why is that person behaving that way?” And we must have the courage to report anything that seems suspicious to an appropriate contact: 911, Shomrim, an usher/greeter, or the designated security team.

When I speak to groups about security, I often begin by reminding people that security professionals are, by nature, pessimists. And that’s a good thing: you don’t want a security professional who says, “meh… it’ll probably be fine.” You want one who actively imagines all the ways something could go wrong — and then works proactively to prevent those outcomes.

But here is what I fear most: that by talking about security, we inadvertently discourage participation in Jewish communal life. That would be a tragic outcome.

I want everyone to understand: the most dangerous part of attending a Jewish event is, statistically, the drive to get there. We don’t hesitate to buckle our seatbelt and get on the road. Likewise, we should not hesitate to show up proudly for Jewish life, even as we take reasonable precautions.

Being welcoming, aware, and willing to act when something seems out of place — this is how we all contribute to the safety of our community.

We must grieve the tragedies we have witnessed. We must work to prevent future harm.

But above all, we must not allow fear to drive us into isolation. By continuing to show up — proudly and visibly — we demonstrate that ours is a strong and welcoming community that will not be cowed by terrorists.

Harvey A. Feldman z”l was honored at our 2025 Annual Event this past Sunday for his major gift to enhance community security. Please take the opportunity to honor his legacy with a donation to JCRC to secure our community and protect our institutions.

This blog post was the featured staff column for the June 2025 Gesher (‘Bridge’ in Hebrew) – JCRC’s monthly email newsletter.
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