Name: CJP introduces security initiative for Jewish community
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CJP introduces security initiative for Jewish community

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                                “Our Jewish community is strongest when we work together — especially in uncertain times, when the safety and security of our community is challenged on a daily basis,” said Richard Kasper, CEO of the Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix (CJP), during a virtual meeting with rabbis and members of Jewish communal organizations on April 10, when he introduced CJP’s Community Security Initiative.“A key point of this initiative is that it is designed to enhance the security measures organizations already have in place and support collaboration across the community,” said Kasper. “Ultimately, our goal is to raise the baseline level of safety and security throughout our community.”According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), 5,204 antisemitic incidents were recorded in the United States between the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and Dec. 31, 2023. This figure represents more than half of all the 8,873 antisemitic incidents that occurred in 2023. Last year was the highest year for antisemitic acts against Jews since the ADL started tracking this data in 1979. Arizona has seen antisemitic incidents at synagogues, on college campuses and in Greater Phoenix.To help safeguard our community, the CJP was awarded a three-year LiveSecure grant from the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) to launch a community-wide security initiative. JNFA’s LiveSecure program is the largest philanthropic effort to secure the Jewish community in history and has raised over $62 million to ensure the security and resiliency of our communities.CJP’s local initiative is designed to provide synagogues, Jewish community centers, schools, camps and other institutions with the tools, training and best practices to increase safety preparedness. These comprehensive services are provided by CJP at no cost to the organizations.To help develop and implement the Community Security Initiative, CJP hired Amarok Consulting, a reputable safety and security consulting company that specializes in training, event management, site assessments and intelligence gathering and sharing.Amarok Consulting is a local company, owned and operated by Tony Wells and Nate Mullins, co-chiefs of security at the Ina Levine Jewish Community Campus and active-duty Scottsdale police officers. In addition to Wells and Mullins, the team dedicated to CJP’s security initiative is comprised of local active and retired law enforcement, fire department and former military personnel.“By investing in the expertise of law enforcement professionals, who understand our community’s unique needs, we are taking proactive steps to mitigate risks and provide a safe environment where community members can gather, worship and engage in various activities with confidence and peace of mind,” says Kasper.CJP will work with Amarok to provide a single point of contact for critical incident coordination, information and intelligence sharing, safety and security training, site visits, coordinated communications, event consulting and building relationships with local law enforcement agencies.Training programs are tailored to the specific needs of our community and will encompass a wide range of areas, including threat assessments, emergency response protocols, crowd management and situational awareness.Amarok will also conduct site assessments identifying vulnerabilities and recommending appropriate security enhancements. Organizations interested in a site visit can complete a request form that can be accessed on CJP’s website.Other resources available on CJP’s website include an event management checklist designed to provide guidance to organizations when they are planning an event, and training videos that can be accessed from a secure web page. CJP and Amarok plan to hold a Community Security Summit on May 19 and a Community Training Event during the summer to provide hands-on training to community members.Communication is another critical component of the plan. Amarok has developed the Titan HST app, an emergency and communication platform to facilitate community-wide communication. The app can be customized for each location, with icons for different alerts such as medical, fire, shooter, bomb, suspicious person, etc. The app is currently being tested at a few organizations with good results. “It’s not to replace 911 or emergency services, but it’s in addition to them,” said Wells. “So, if you were to select that icon and send an alert, CJP and Amarok would also get notified and we could call and check in.”Though the initiative was just launched publicly, Amarok has been working behind the scenes on CJP’s behalf, having completed a few site assessments, pilot-testing the Titan HSP app and consulting on six large-scale community events, including the community vigil “One People, One Voice, A Gathering of Prayer, Support and Hope” held on Oct. 9, the Shabbat dinner demonstration on the lawn of the State Capitol lawn, Jewish Community Day with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Jewish Community Night at ZooLights and Mazelpalooza.“By combining comprehensive training programs, collaborative partnerships, continuous evaluation and community engagement, we will ensure that our community is well-prepared, resilient and capable of responding effectively to security challenges,” said Kasper. JNFor more information, visit phoenixcjp.org/what-we-do/community-security.Jewish News is published by the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Phoenix, a component of the Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix.
                                
                                



                                
                                
                                
                                “Our Jewish community is strongest when we work together — especially in uncertain times, when the safety and security of our community is challenged on a daily basis,” said Richard Kasper, CEO of the Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix (CJP), during a virtual meeting with rabbis and members of Jewish communal organizations on April 10, when he introduced CJP’s Community Security Initiative.“A key point of this initiative is that it is designed to...

CJP introduces security initiative for Jewish community

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