United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and its partner, Secure Community Network, hosted three screenings
of the HBO documentary A Tree of Life: The Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting on September 10. Each screening served a particular demographic: one for local first responders – law enforcement agencies at local, state, and federal levels, one for leadership of area Jewish agencies, and one for the public.
A conversation followed each screening and focused on how Tidewater’s Jewish community can best secure its communal spaces and ensure the community’s continued safety following the rampant rise in antisemitic incidents since October 7, 2023. Speakers at all three events included Mike Goldsmith, SCN’s regional security advisor for Tidewater; Brad Orsini, SCN’s senior national security advisor; and Ellen Surloff, former president of Congregation Dor Hadash, which is housed in the Tree of Life building and was having services the day of the attack.
“We are extremely appreciative for our partnership with SCN and for Brad Orsini’s willingness to share his expertise, along with that of the organization, with our community, drawing from the lessons of the Pittsburgh tragedy and best practices,” says Betty Ann Levin, UJFT CEO. “Hearing from both Jon Schleffer, Virginia Deputy Secretary of Public Safety; Ryan Short, SCN deputy regional director; Mike Goldsmith, SCN regional security advisor, Tidewater; John Piser, SCN regional director, Mid-Atlantic; Ellen Surloff, former president, Dor Hadash Congregation; and Brad Orsini, SCN national security director.
Brad Orsini and Ellen Surloff about the lessons learned from the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting highlights the importance of preparedness and the need for everyone to engage in security training.”
The goal of showing the film, which SCN is doing in Jewish communities across North America, was to spark meaningful conversations about safety and security and encourage community members to attend trainings to be prepared should a similar incident occur locally. The screening for first responders and law enforcement served as a follow-up to the full-scale exercise organized by UJFT, SCN, Ohef Sholom Temple, and the City of Norfolk in August. That exercise tested the city’s response to a major incident at a house of worship based on lessons learned from the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting.
“The recent screenings demonstrated the importance of training to ensure our ability to respond during a critical incident,” says Goldsmith. Our panelists all spoke about the need to prepare for potential threats. This film and the information from the panel discussions will help us work with one another, and our local first responders, should the unthinkable happen in one of our facilities.”
SCN hosts regular trainings for community members. For more information, visit JewishVA.org/SCN.
