To learn more about upcoming family programs, visit JewishVA.org/PJLibrary.

The High Holidays are doing it again. . .  they’re arriving early!  Unlike the guest who rings the doorbell 15 minutes early without warning, the holidays don’t really sneak up on us. The first day of the Hebrew month Tishrei is where it always is on the Jewish calendar and this year it falls on Saturday, Sept. 12.  

With the news a near constant barrage of disturbing reports of antisemitism – much of it occurring in places once considered safe – it feels even more important to pause, to turn it all off, and to observe and celebrate the Jewish New Year.

In Tidewater, we’re fortunate to have multiple options for worship, with a style or type of observance for nearly everyone.  In fact, many congregations are advertising within these pages, welcoming old and new members to their services.  The rabbis, cantors, musicians, administrative staffs, and volunteers at these congregations all put in enormous amounts of time and effort to assure their services are meaningful, inspiring, and safe.  If you haven’t already, now might be the moment to join or re-join.

For me, the approach of the season is packed with fond memories of family gatherings and traditions, along with the awareness that it is important to be open to creating new ones.  My hope for you, our Jewish News readers, is that this Rosh Hashanah is filled with good health, peace, and the makings of memories to cherish for years to come. 

L’Shanah Tovah,

I joined the United States Navy in 1980 to protect the very freedoms that allowed me to live and pray as my Jewish ancestors did. Growing up with the heavy knowledge of the Holocaust, hearing on the news the persecution of Soviet Jews in the 1970s, and understanding the millennia of global antisemitism faced by the diaspora, I knew that we as Jews in America were profoundly privileged. I recognized how precious America’s liberties truly were, and I chose to devote 38 years of my life to defending this nation—to giving back through service for all the freedoms it had bestowed upon my family.

 I was determined to serve openly as a Jew. I wanted our country to recognize that American Jews stood up and contributed far beyond the realms of science, law, and academia; we were willing to put our lives on the line and pay the ultimate sacrifice in uniform. I never asked for personal recognition or gain. I only wanted to ensure that my service—and the morals and ethics of my Jewish faith that guided it—would be remembered as an undeniable thread in the fabric of our military and our nation.

 Realizing for the first time that so many who came before me served bravely but are no longer remembered accurately in their faith sends a chill through me. It leaves me deeply dispirited to think that any Jewish service member could be mistakenly buried under a Latin cross—that being forgotten remains a distinct possibility.

 In Judaism, honoring and remembering the dead is one of our most sacred obligations (Chesed shel Emet), yet history has shown it was no longer a certainty. Witnessing the sacred work of Operation Benjamin and its partner initiative, Operation Levi, has completely restored my faith. They ensure that the sacred memory of those who went before me will be faithfully preserved.

A hunch that restored history

History is not preserved by accident; it endures because individuals choose to investigate and set things right. The entire mission began with a simple, unsettling, and paradigm-shifting observation by Operation Benjamin’s co-founder, Rabbi Dr. Jacob J. Schacter. Like me, most Jews who visit the Normandy American Cemetery are deeply inspired by seeing the Stars of David scattered among the graves. Yet, looking across that vast sea of white marble, Rabbi Schacter instinctively did the math. Knowing the true demographics of World War II service members, he realized Jewish soldiers were profoundly underrepresented among the endless rows.

 He shared this hunch with his close friend Shalom Lamm—an entrepreneur, cantor, and knowledgeable military historian. Together, they hired a summer intern to comb through military databases and archives. They quickly realized these Jewish heroes were not missing; they were misidentified and buried under Latin crosses. While the exact reasons for each case are lost to time, it is highly likely that many of these World War II soldiers changed their religious designations out of a realistic fear of Nazi capture or hid their faith due to the prevailing antisemitism among their fellow soldiers. Others, despite having the Hebrew mark stamped on their dog tags, were simply misclassified in the frantic, overwhelming rush of battlefield burials.

 Their first breakthrough was Private Benjamin Garadetsky, a Jewish GI buried under a cross in Normandy. But Rabbi Schacter and Shalom Lamm quickly discovered that correcting history would not be easy. They had to navigate dense military records to prove definitively
that the soldier was Jewish. Furthermore, to legally change a headstone, the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), the federal agency tasked with overseeing and managing all of America’s foreign military cemeteries, requires the formal consent of the closest living relatives to correct the headstone. And they had to convince and overcome an initial reluctance of the ABMC who had complete authority over all American Cemeteries overseas and was not used to doing this. Schacter and Lamm convinced them that it was not only important to the Jewish community, but the right thing to do. This forced the team to launch extensive genealogical searches to track down living descendants for their signatures—a process that took more than a year and a half. Finally, with the family in attendance, they replaced the Latin cross with a Star of David in Normandy, and Operation Benjamin found its permanent name and its sacred calling. And in this process, they established a great partnership with the leadership of the ABMC and now can expedite the process to a matter of months.

The dead bring the living together

This past June 2, I was invited to take part in an Operation Benjamin ceremony at the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery in Verdun, France—the site of some of World War I’s bloodiest conflicts. On the first day, we gathered to replace the Latin crosses with Stars of David for five Jewish American heroes: PVT Samuel Tamkin, PFC Barney Bardman, PVT Samuel Backer, PVT Hyman Aronoff, and PFC Maurice Akabas. One can only imagine the immense difficulty of conducting flawless genealogical research on soldiers who died more than a century ago, a testament to the tenacity, rigor, and devotion of Operation Benjamin.

 While we were there to honor these fallen soldiers, a profound truth became clear: they were there for us, too.

 Through this painstaking genealogical work, families who had no idea of their relation to these soldiers—or that other branches of their family even existed—were brought together, spanning from Israel to the far reaches of the United States.

 One such family member was Rabbi Wayne Franklin of Providence, Rhode Island, who received an unexpected, out-ofthe-blue call from Shalom Lamm. Fortunately, the surname Lamm carried historical weight for Rabbi Franklin due to a lineage of prominent rabbinic scholars, so he took the call. Shalom explained that they had discovered a Jewish soldier named Maurice Akabas buried under a Latin cross, and that research proved Rabbi Franklin was the soldier’s great-great-nephew.

 Flabbergasted and left speechless, Rabbi Franklin readily accepted Shalom’s invitation to join the delegation in Verdun. He knew he had distant relatives in Texas, where Akabas had enlisted, but his family had long since lost touch with them. Standing in that sacred space, looking upon his ancestor’s gravesite alongside long-lost relatives he was meeting for the very first time, the experience completely revived his family’s sense of strength. It reawakened a deep pride in both their country and their Judaism. Not only were the living giving value to the dead by restoring their Jewish identity, but the dead were giving value to the living by reuniting families and restoring pride.

Day Two: My participation in Operation Levi

On the second day in Verdun, June 3, I had the profound honor of participating in Operation Levi. Inspired by the achievements of Operation Benjamin, while working together to find a U.S. Jewish officer missing in action for 79 years, the Secretary General of the German War Graves Commission, retired German Brigadier General Dirk Backen, had his own “hunch” while visiting a World War I German cemetery and spotting a Latin cross marked with the name Levi.

 His investigation confirmed that Private Meyer Levi was indeed a Jewish German soldier who had been mistakenly buried under a Christian symbol. Recognizing that remembrance transcends nationality, General Backen contacted Shalom Lamm, inspiring a sister initiative named in Private Levi’s honor. The Operation Benjamin and Operation Levi genealogy and history teams now work hand in hand to find these soldiers and correct the history. It is an amazing collaboration.

 To witness this ceremony was deeply moving. As Jews, our memories of Germany are overwhelmingly dominated by the horrors of Nazism and the cataclysm of the Holocaust. Yet today, their modern war graves commission is doing breathtaking, sacred work to restore the identities of Jewish German servicemen of World War I—men whose heritage and headstones had been systematically targeted and erased by the Nazi regime during the occupation of France. By actively tracking down these forgotten graves and replacing the crosses with Stars of David, they are confronting their history with absolute moral clarity. It was a privilege to see Operation Benjamin recognize General Backen by presenting him with the first-ever Order of the Marble Star of David for his courageous leadership.

A final salute

Standing there over those two days, a rush of profound emotions filled my mind. I saw that the Meuse-Argonne cemetery is meticulously maintained to extend the ultimate respect to the fallen. Inscribed on its chapel wall are these remarkable words: “This chapel is erected by the United States of America as a sacred promise of a grateful people with its immortal dead.” This transforms a burial ground into a living legacy.

 During the ceremonies, Rabbi Schacter offered a blessing, the families spoke, and Kaddish was recited. Attendees watched with damp eyes as workers carefully removed the white marble crosses, wrapped them in white cloth, and replaced them with the symbol of Judaism. These crosses were not cast aside in anger; they had guarded these men with dignity for more than a century, and we bid them a respectful farewell.

 As the new Stars of David were unveiled, I added my own slow salute to each soldier. To stand there as a veteran, a Jew, in uniform, and a witness was an indescribable honor.

 How we bury our dead reflects how we value life. Thanks to the shared sacred work of Operation Benjamin and Operation Levi, heroes on both sides of a global conflict are finally memorialized accurately. In restoring their identity, they restored a piece of ourselves, proving that the bonds of family, faith, and country can never be broken.

Postlude

Joining us for the ceremonies was my friend Michael Oren—former Israeli Ambassador to the United States, Knesset member, acclaimed author, and historian. Michael’s own father fought bravely in World War II during the famous Battle of the Bulge, giving him a deep personal connection to this sacred ground. Together, we reflected on how much the 250th anniversary of America means to the world—a milestone mirrored in the diverse men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice and lie buried across Europe, as well as those still actively serving our nation today.

 We talked in awe of those early Jewish soldiers who took up arms not long after arriving on American shores, stepping forward despite the prominent domestic antisemitism of the era. They understood the vital importance of Jewish Americans fighting for national security. This enduring legacy of America’s global perception at 250 years is still critical to the State of Israel and the historical ties—both democratic and military—that have bound our two nations together through the centuries. It is a critical dialogue that must be heard and continued.

To learn more or support legislative efforts such as the Fallen Service members Religious Heritage Restoration Act, visit www.operationbenjamin.org.

Founded by Rabbi Michael G. Holzman, faith250 invites us to see this anniversary as an opportunity to “pause, come together, and recommit — across faiths and across differences — to the shared values that sustain our democracy.” For months, local clusters of congregations have come together to study sacred texts; that is, America’s sacred texts, among them the Declaration of Independence and The New Colossus. “This is not an academic exercise,” faith250’s website implores. “It is a moral and spiritual one. As you read and discuss these texts together, you will be asking: What do these words mean to me? What do they mean for our faith communities? What do they mean for us as Americans?”

One of the sacred texts identified by faith250 is America the Beautiful. Katherine Lee Bates, an English professor at Wellesley College, wrote the poem in 1893. She was traveling across the country that July, and she was moved by the physical beauty and the potential that she saw around her. Towards the end of her trip, Bates visited the summit of Pikes Peak in Colorado. At the top of the mountain, beneath spacious skies and surrounded by purple mountain majesties, inspiration swelled and the words started coming to her. Bates descended the mountain and wrote the first draft of her poem in her hotel room that evening. Initially published with the title America: A Poem for July 4th, it was revised twice, and by 1911 it was the patriotic song that we all know.

There is so much that is beautiful about America, as Bates writes in her stirring verses. O beautiful, for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain. We need only walk up the hill to the Presidio to see just a fraction of the immense natural beauty of this continent. The amber waves of grain refer to the beauty of the Great Plains, but also to the economic prosperity and potential that all of that farmland represents. 

O beautiful, for pilgrim feet. Our nation is a nation of immigrants – over the past 250 years, more than 100 million people have traveled across the wilderness to call America their home. The New York Times just published an interactive map of American ancestry, color-coded based on how people describe their backgrounds to the Census Bureau. The authors write, “There are nearly 200 unique identities represented; blend them – as 340 million Americans do – and we arrive at a jumbled, overlapping, story-filled infinity.” 

O beautiful, for heroes proved in liberating strife. Our founding fathers had a vision for a new kind of country, one grounded in democracy and the idea that all men are created equal. That vision has had profound implications for us, changing Jewish history forever. Rabbi Ethan Tucker writes, “America never demanded that Jews purchase equality at the price of their collective identity. For Jews, this country has never been an oppressive empire, nor is it a place that happens to be kind. It has simply been, in a completely unprecedented way, a country in which Jews are full and equal citizens.”

There is so much beauty in America. And, of course, there is so much that is ugly. It can be discordant to sing of America the Beautiful when we face the reality of our country today. There is enormous polarization in America, and deep fissures in our democracy and systems of government. There is hatred of all kinds: racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, antisemitism, and so many more, and sometimes it seems as though the hatred is growing every day. There is so much suffering in our country, and often instead of working to alleviate it, we turn the blame onto those who are suffering themselves.

I could go on and on about all that is ugly in America in 2026. But this ugliness was also present in Katherine Lee Bates’ America of 1893. Her lofty depiction of “America the Beautiful” is not an accurate image of the America of her time. However, Bates was not merely glossing over the ugliness she saw. She was transforming it.

Rabbi Stephanie Kolin of Congregation Beth Elohim in Brooklyn visited Pikes Peak with her family last summer, and she shared her reflections on the site and Bates’ poem with her congregation on Yom Kippur. She writes, “It turns out that Katherine Lee Bates, in addition to being an obviously talented poet, was also a brilliant professor at Wellesley College. And she wrote for many newspapers, including the New York Times, advocating against the unjust treatment of women, the poor, people of color, and immigrants in her day. She was outraged, even activated, by human suffering in her present, but she also had a far-reaching gaze: 

O beautiful for patriot dream

That sees beyond the years

Thine alabaster cities gleam 

Undimmed by human tears.  

This wasn’t a naive utopian account of the America that was. No, she was drawing up the blueprints for the America that could be.” 

America the Beautiful isn’t a relic, a song that captures a moment in this country’s history. It is a ballad that is meant to serve as a rallying cry, to call us into action to turn it into reality. The song’s refrain repeats, “America! America!” Rabbi Michael Holzman, the founder of faith250, writes: “Like the angel who called, ‘Abraham, Abraham,’ this song calls to us to wake up, repeating our name twice, and asking us to put down the knife hanging over the future’s neck… The angel may have to shout at us ‘America! America!’… so we can face the choices before us.”

As we commemorate the 250th anniversary of the American experiment, let’s celebrate all that is beautiful in America. I hope we also listen to the rallying cry: America! America! Let’s refocus our sight on what is not currently beautiful in our country today, but what can become beautiful. Then, let’s get to work on those blueprints that Katherine Lee Bates drew up for us. 

Rabbi Madeline T. Budman, Congregation Emanu-El, San Francisco, California.

Thanks for reading,

Terri Denison
Editor

 Mona Flax, president, United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, Robin Mancoll, UJFT’s chief program officer and senior director, Jewish Community Relations Council, and Rabbi Jacob Herber were among the participants.

 The bill would boost Nonprofit Security Grant Program funding to $1 billion that can be used by Jewish communities, create a new grant that can be used for places of worship, require the Department of Education to designate an antisemitism coordinator, and lay out new regulations to combat antisemitism at colleges that receive DOE funding. Additionally, the measure would require new disclosures about how online platforms moderate and respond to antisemitic content. 

  Over the last 12 months, Jews have been deliberately targeted with violent attacks threatening Jewish religious expression. In fact, during the week prior to the meetings, members of Congress received antisemitic death calls, and a commander of an Iranian-backed militia was charged with plotting to attack Jewish sites in the United States. This need for security funding extends beyond American Jewish communities – with three people killed last month in the shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego, including a security guard.  

 Americans of all faiths deserve the right to gather safely with their communities, which is why Jewish leaders joined Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Representative Dan Goldman (D-NY-10) on Capitol Hill to discuss the rising domestic security crisis and support the Jewish American Security Act. The Act is co-sponsored by Rosen and James Langford, a Republican from Oregon.

    “Jewish communities across the United States are facing a real and growing security crisis, and the federal government has a responsibility to ensure that all Americans can gather, worship, and live openly and safely as who they are,” said Hon. Eric D. Fingerhut, president and CEO of Jewish Federations of North America. 

  “This legislation represents one of the strongest congressional responses we have seen to the alarming rise in antisemitism and targeted violence against the Jewish community,” Fingerhut continued. “It sends a clear and unmistakable message: protecting Jewish Americans is not optional — it is an urgent national priority. We are proud to support this effort and urge Congress to act swiftly, because no American should have to live in fear simply for being Jewish.” 

  In Michigan this March, a terrorist crashed a car filled with weapons into Temple Israel, where more than 120 preschoolers hid in fear. If not for critical security training and personnel, this near massacre could have become one of the worst attacks on American soil since 9/11. This incident is one of many that underscores the tragic need for increased security to ensure Jewish Americans can gather safely and openly practice their faith. 

  “The Nonprofit Security Grant Program is the federal funding stream that helps houses of worship and community centers protect themselves,” Temple Israel’s Rabbi Jen Lader told the gathered members of Congress and Jewish leaders. “In our case, prior investment in our security infrastructure was the difference between the destruction of a building and an unspeakable tragedy. This funding is without exaggeration a matter of life and death.”  

  Jewish communities are being forced to choose between programs like schools, camps, food banks, and social services to meet increased security needs while demand outpaces the federal program Congress built to help. Proper funding ensures that all communities of faith will have access to critical security dollars, allowing all religious groups to practice freely. 

   Senator Jacky Rosen and Representative Dan Goldman expressed their support for the bill, discussing how they can champion Jewish safety in their states and around the country. 

  “The historic moment that we are in right now, here today, that we have come to through all of this, calls for an equally large effort, and that’s why today we are proud to introduce our bipartisan bill in the Senate and in the House to launch an aggressive and comprehensive domestic approach against antisemitism through our bipartisan Jewish American Security Act,” said Senator Rosen. “We will help keep Jewish students safe, will help secure Jewish community institutions, and we will help fight antisemitism online. 

  “In the last decade, we’ve seen record-breaking year after record-breaking year of antisemitic incidents. We’ve seen vandalisms, attacks, murder, threats on Jewish communities at schools and our college campuses, at Jewish-owned businesses, at our places of worship. But this last year has been one I will never forget,” continued Senator Rosen. “We must agree that intimidation, discrimination, violence, and even murder of Jews is always wrong and always unacceptable.”

 “The importance of fighting antisemitism, though, is not just for Jewish Americans, because we know through history that antisemitism may strike first, but it never strikes last….it may start with Jews one day, but it will go to another group the next day, and we saw an example of this in San Diego with a horrific attack on the Islamic Center,” said Representative Dan Goldman.  

 “My biggest takeaway” from the meetings, says Mona Flax, “was how engaged and interested Senator Mark Warner’s, Senator Tim Kaine’s, and Congressman Bobby Scott’s aides were.  Most of them were aware of the antisemitism but I could tell many were surprised by how personal the issue has become for all Jewish Americans. Telling personal stories brought the issue home.”

For more information on upcoming Israel-related programs, visit JewishVA.org or contact Nofar Trem at NTrem@UJFT.org. Save the date for next year’s Yom Ha’Atzmaut gathering on Sunday, May 16, 2027.

 This year’s JAHM programming in Tidewater, presented by United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and community partners, brings together film, history, art, sports, music, and family‑friendly events, inviting participants of all backgrounds to engage thoughtfully with the Jewish American story.

Moses Ezekiel: Portrait of a Lost Artist 

Monday, May 4, 1 pm, Sandler Family Campus

The month opens with a focused exploration of Moses Jacob Ezekiel, one of the most complex figures in American Jewish art history. UJFT will present the documentary Moses Ezekiel: Portrait of a Lost Artist, which examines Ezekiel’s international acclaim alongside his support of the Confederacy and the legacy of the memorials he created. 

Guided walk‑and‑talk tours 

Tuesday, May 5, and Tuesday, May 12, 10 am, Norfolk Botanical Garden

The conversation about Ezekiel continues with guided walk‑and‑talk tours at the Norfolk Botanical Garden, where participants will explore the Moses Ezekiel Statuary Vista Garden and view Carrara marble sculptures he created in Rome between 1879 and 1884.

Jewish American Heritage Month Night at the Tides game

Wednesday, May 6, Harbor Park, 6:35 pm, Harbor Park

JAHM also creates space for celebration and shared experience when the community is invited to Harbor Park for a Norfolk Tides game, honoring Jewish contributions to America’s favorite pastime. Tidewater native and award‑winning Jewish country artist Troy Breslow will sing the National Anthem. Tickets are $19.99.

Architects of Being

Tuesday, May 12 and Sunday May 17, 2 pm, Chrysler Museum

Visual art is highlighted through a continued partnership between UJFT and the Chrysler Museum of Art, with guided tours focusing on the exhibition Architects of Being, which features the work of Jewish‑American immigrants Louise Nevelson and Esphyr Slobodkina.

Jason Schachter McKinney 

• Thursday, May 28, 6 pm, Jewish Museum and Cultural Center 

• Friday, May 29, 10:30 am, Central Library, Virginia Beach

• Friday, May 29, 6:30 pm, Ohef Sholom Temple

• Saturday, May 30, 10 am, KBH 

• Sunday, May 31,10 am, Second Presbyterian Church, Norfolk

• Sunday, May 31, 11 am, Moses Myers House

A defining focus of this year’s JAHM programming is the residency of musician and author Jason Schachter McKinney. 

McKinney will perform at UJFT’s Konikoff Center for Learning’s third‑annual Celebration of Lifelong Learning at the Jewish Museum and Cultural Center in Portsmouth, bringing together learners from preschool age through nonagenarians for an evening of music, reflection, and shared learning.

Families are invited to a story time at the Meyera E. Oberndorf Central Library in Virginia Beach featuring Jason Belongs, his autobiographical children’s book that explores identity, belonging, and what it means to be both Black and Jewish. 

 His residency continues through participation in Shabbat services at Ohef Sholom Temple and at Kehillat Beit Hamidrash (Kempsville Conservative Synagogue), in partnership with Temple Israel and Temple Emanuel. McKinney will also take part in a conversation about faith and music and an interfaith service at Second Presbyterian Church in Norfolk alongside Pastor Craig Wansink and Rabbi Michael Panitz. That conversation will be followed by services at 11am, which are open to all.

 Later that day, Rabbi Panitz will conclude the month at the historic Myers House by exploring the life of Moses Myers, one of Norfolk’s first permanent Jewish residents, and what his story reveals about early American Jewish ideas of citizenship and belonging.

Advance registration or tickets are required for all events. For more information, visit JewishVA.org/JAHM, or contact UJFT’s programs department at Programs@UJFT.org.

Celebrate Israel’s 78th Independence Day, Yom Ha’Atzmaut, while connecting with friends, embracing Israeli culture, and strengthen community ties – bringing together families, friends, and organizations in Tidewater.

 This year’s gathering offers a chance to support Israel during a challenging time. Yom Ha’Atzmaut is not just about reflecting on Israel’s history, but also about deepening the connections between local Jewish families and their ties to Israel. It’s a moment to stand united and celebrate the resilience and spirit of Israel.

 The afternoon will be packed with activities for all ages, from hands-on experiences for kids to opportunities for adults to connect and engage. Enjoy authentic Israeli barbecue, delicious food, and synagogue-led programs that bring the essence of Israel to life. Everyone can join in the fun and make meaningful memories.

 In addition, representatives from Virginia Hillels will be available to offer high school students and their families time to explore Jewish life on college campuses—an important opportunity and consideration for those planning their future.

 One of the highlights of the day will be the Israeli marketplace hosted by ESEK. With more than 20 curated collections, it is a chance to meet Israel through the stories of its people — from Nova Music Festival survivors featured in the NOVA Collection to Israel Defense Forces reservists working to keep their businesses going while serving. From handmade jewelry and Judaica to artisanal foods, every item has a story, and every purchase is a meaningful way to show support.

 More than anything, the day is about connection— whether it’s reconnecting with old friends, meeting new faces, or simply coming together as one. 

 Tidewater’s Yom Ha’Atmzmaut events are presented by Avraham and Karen Ashkenazi, United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, and Simon Family JCC, and made possible through the generous support of Simon Family Foundation and the Helen G. Gifford Foundation.  

For more information and to register, visit JewishVA.org/YH or contact Nofar Trem at NTrem@UJFT.org. 

Yom Ha’Atzmaut Sponsors:

Avraham and Karen Ashkenazi

Palms Associates

Simon Family Foundation

Virginia Beach Arts & Humanities Commission

Helen G. Gifford Foundation

Harbor Group International

American Israel Public Affairs Committee

Payday Payroll Services

S.L. Nusbaum Realty Co.

Gentry Locke Attorneys

Eide Bailly

The Law Offices of Daniel J. Miller

Wilks, Alper, Harwood & McIntyre, PC

The Spindel Agency

Allegra Marketing Print Mail

Ensuring a safe day focused on fun

Due to global events and in our ongoing commitment to the safety of the community, enhanced security measures will be in place for this year’s Yom HaAtzmaut celebration. We appreciate your partnership in helping us create a safe, secure, and welcoming environment for all.

Please read carefully and plan:     

• RSVP is required for all attendees.
Those who have not RSVPd in advance will be asked to provide information upon arrival and should expect delayed entry.

• A valid photo ID is required for entry.
Having your ID ready will help expedite the check-in process. 

• Please allow additional time for arrival and entry.
This will ensure adequate time for parking, security screening, and check-in. 

• Metal detectors will be in use.
All attendees will be screened upon entry, and weapons of any kind are strictly prohibited.

• Travel light.
We strongly encourage guests not to bring large bags (with the exception of diaper bags). All bags are subject to inspection.

• Security protocols will be in place throughout the event.
These measures are designed to support a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone. 

Thank you for your understanding, cooperation, and shared commitment to community safety. We look forward to celebrating together.

 He hit and injured the congregation’s security director,
Danny Phillips, with his car as he plowed through the synagogue’s doors and drove down a hallway. But he didn’t manage to harm anyone else after he was shot by members of Temple Israel’s armed security team.

 And because the rest of the staff knew exactly how to respond to an active shooter threat.

 “We always worry that you can plan and plan and plan and practice and practice, and it won’t matter, because it will be something else, but it feels like a miracle that everything worked the way it was supposed to, that our team was so incredibly brave, local law enforcement’s been amazing, and that everybody’s OK,” Rabbi Jen Lader of Temple Israel says.

 Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard and West Bloomfield County Police Chief Dale Young immediately praised the security response in the wake of the attack.

 Bouchard noted that the security team had “neutralized the threat” before police officers arrived.

 “I am deeply proud of the response, not only from the security that was on site, but also of all the police officers and the firefighters that are here right now, we train on active shooter events a lot,” Young said during a press conference outside the synagogue. “I think that training certainly helped to mitigate what happened here today.”

 Indeed, it was a situation that Jewish institutions across the United States have trained for, as antisemitism and threats of violence have ticked up in recent years, especially following the 2018 synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh that killed 11 Jews during Shabbat services. The rabbi of a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, credited security training with enabling him to respond when a man took him and three congregants hostage in 2022.

 “Everybody flees danger, and our team went straight toward it, and they were the ones who neutralized the terrorist and saved everybody,” says Lader. “And our teachers followed, you know, to the absolute letter, our active shooter training and lockdown procedures, and saved every kid.”

 Beyond the synagogue’s full-time director of security, Lader says Temple Israel also has a full team of armed security guards on the premises at all times as well as a remote security system that is able to secure different areas of the building during threats.

 In late January, FBI agents also visited Temple Israel to train clergy and staff about how to respond to an active shooter.

 Michael Masters, the national director and CEO of the Secure Community Network, an organization that coordinates security for Jewish institutions nationwide, including in Tidewater, says that the outcomes of the attack reflected the preparedness of Temple Israel.

 “Investing in security is an investment, it’s a down payment on the Jewish future,” says Masters. “The community that made up the synagogue, the larger Detroit Jewish community, has been making that investment for years and years, and today, that investment paid off and lives [were] saved.”

 Among the security measures that Masters says his organization recommended were “bollards or fences or natural obstructions” to the building, controlling access to the facility through reinforced doors or windows and having a security presence.

 “What we hope this reaffirms is that security needs to be an ongoing investment in order to allow Jewish life, faith-based life, to thrive,” says Masters. “And very much that investment can result, and did result, in Jewish lives being saved, and so we all need to recognize that and commit ourselves as members of the community at every level to be a part of making that investment at whatever level we can.”

 In the wake of the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington D.C. in June, the synagogue hosted a town hall on hate crimes and extremism.

 Among the speakers at the town hall was Noah Arbit, a lifelong congregant of Temple Israel who represents West Bloomfield in the Michigan House of Representatives. Arbit said in an interview that after he first learned of the attack while working on the state house floor, he immediately began to cry and raced down to his home synagogue.

 “I campaigned on taking on hate crimes,” said Arbit. “To be working on these issues, and then to see it come home to roost in my own community, in my own synagogue, in my hometown that I represent is, frankly, just like my worst nightmare.”

 While Arbit praised the response by security and law enforcement as the attack unfolded, he said he was “outraged and enraged and deeply pained that it was necessary in the first place.”

 “Jewish communities across the country and world have watched, you know, for the past decade, as our institutions have congealed into fortresses,” he said. “We are now forced to live behind, basically, you know, militarized, institutionally securitized institutions, and what a shame that is. It’s not just a shame, It’s unfathomable, it’s unforgivable.”

 For Rabbi Mark Miller of Temple Beth El, another Reform synagogue a 20-minute drive away in Bloomfield Hills, the attack on Temple Israel served as a stark reminder of why security infrastructure was essential for Jewish institutions.

 “This is one of those moments when, for years and years, we have bemoaned that we have to put so much time and energy into security for our institutions,” says Miller. “And this is one of those days that reminds us that we don’t have a choice.”

 Miller’s synagogue had a recent security crisis of its own, when a man drove through its parking lot in December 2022 and shouted antisemitic threats as parents walked their preschoolers into the building. The assailant, Hassan Chokr, was sentenced to 34 months in prison in September for illegally possessing multiple firearms inside a gun store after leaving the synagogue.

 “It’s a terrifying day, obviously for a lot of people, especially for parents with their kids at not only Temple Israel but at ours and other temples and Jewish institutions,” Miller says.

 Lader says that among her congregants, two competing sentiments had jumped out: Those who “never, in a million years, in our heart of hearts, thought it was ever going to happen to us” and others who “knew it was only a matter of time before it knocked on our door.”

 But another feeling was even stronger, she says.

 “I think the overarching sentiment, and the one that I want to make sure gets out there, is our absolute gratitude to our internal teams, our amazing staff, local law enforcement and our teachers for really, like, a building full of absolute heroes, who were able to keep us safe,” Lader says.