Synagogues Add Security Against Terrorism as High Holy Days Begin

Admitting to some nervousness in the aftermath of the murder of 21 Jews in an Istanbul temple last month, synagogues in Southern California have beefed up security for the Jewish High Holy Days, which begin tonight with the celebration of Rosh Hashanah.

Anticipating the usual large gatherings for the Jewish New Year, religious leaders have taken such precautionary steps as hiring additional security personnel, requesting extra police patrols, conducting sweeps of facilities and carefully checking tickets to services.

“Every temple I’ve run across is dealing with this (security) problem because of what happened in Istanbul,” said Rabbi Lawrence Goldmark of Temple Bet Ohr in La Mirada. “There is some nervousness, but we’re trying to maintain the delicate balance between a siege mentality and common sense . . . without disrupting the mood of the High Holy Days.”

Several religious and community associations, including the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith, have sent out mailers advising religious leaders to take added precautions this year.

“We have done this periodically in the past,” said league regional director David Lehrer, noting that the organization prepared handbooks and held seminars on security for religious institutions. “But we’re suggesting that this year they be a little extra cautious. . . . The concern that has been there for a long time was punctuated by (terrorist) events over the past several months.”

According to Nancy Lachman, executive director at University Synagogue in Brentwood, the issue of security was recently the topic of discussion at a local meeting of the Professional Assn. of Temple Administrators.

Although most synagogues make a practice of providing some security during the High Holy Days because of the large numbers who attend services, she said that religious leaders “seem more careful this year than they’ve ever been in the past. There is some fear.”

Lachman added that four off-duty officers--twice as many as last year--have been hired to provide security at her synagogue, and “we’re on the low side.”

Some of the city’s largest synagogues, such as Sinai Temple in West Los Angeles, have hired upwards of a dozen security officers as a precaution.

“We have a very sophisticated security system in place, newly designed this year,” said the temple’s executive director, Gerald Burg. He declined further details out of concern that such disclosure would damage the system’s effectiveness.

Some synagogues have requested and will receive additional patrols from Police and Sheriff’s Department officers on an as-needed basis, according to spokesmen for the departments. But no special measures are planned otherwise.

Paul Glasser, an officer at Beth Jacob Congregation in Beverly Hills, the largest Orthodox synagogue on the West Coast, said that in addition to hiring three off-duty city police officers to provide security, members of the congregation have been requested not to gather outside after services.

Despite the concern, most officials said they expected the turnout at religious services over the next 10 days to be as large as ever.

“It’s a very grave concern to live in a society in which when you go to pray, you also have to be concerned about your safety,” said Rabbi Paul Dubin of the Board of Rabbis of Southern California.