On July 28, Jewish Federation & Foundation of Rockland County and national and local organizations announced a first-of-its-kind security initiative supported by the UJA Federation of New York and the LiveSecure project of the Jewish Federations of North America. The security initiative is in response to and designed to meet the growing challenge of securing the Jewish community in the face of rising antisemitic incidents of harassment, vandalism and violence.
Rockland County accounts for the highest Jewish population density in the United States, with about 105,000 of its more than 330,000 residents identifying as Jewish, and has experienced an increasing number of bias incidents and attacks. “Our geography, our demography, our density, our diversity and our proximity to other Jewish communities makes us the right place to build and deliver a comprehensive approach to this very real challenge,” said Ari Rosenblum, CEO, Jewish Federation & Foundation of Rockland County.
The goal of Rockland’s security initiative is communal security for the Jewish community across the spectrum, for schools, shuls, JCCs, camps and all Jewish institutions, and to bring the Jewish community closer together so that Jewish life can flourish without fear.
Jewish and community leaders spoke about the significance of the Rockland Jewish community being the first of over 145 Jewish Federations and communities across North America to create a new security infrastructure and to benefit from the LiveSecure project. A letter from the Jewish Federations of North America’s Chair Julie Platt and President and CEO Eric Fingerhut, read at the press conference, stated, “LiveSecure has brought together $62 million in funds to support and leverage the participation of Federations in either launching or enhancing their community security initiatives.”
The security initiative will provide security assessments, active shooter and volunteer training, federal and state government Nonprofit Security Grant Program application assistance, develop a coordinated intra-community security network, and coordinate with local and countywide law enforcement.
Retired NYPD Detective Ethan Erlich, director of Rockland Security Initiative, Jewish Federation & Foundation of Rockland County, will lead the security initiative in the county. Erlich served for 21 years in the department including over 11 years as a senior team member of the elite Emergency Services Unit. He has top level training and experience in special weapons and tactics, active shooter response, dignitary protection, site security, surveillance, counter-surveillance, bomber and suicide protection and more.
“I’m just into doing the work,” Erlich said, emphasizing that he will be out in the community. His priorities will be to conduct formal vulnerability assessments for synagogues, schools, camps and other institutions in the Jewish community. He is also tasked with consulting and assisting Jewish institutions with applications and nonprofit security grants for state and federal programs. Erlich will offer active-threat training, stop-the-bleed training, volunteer training and other security related education, doing this in consultation and cooperation with the Community Security Initiative (CSI) of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York (JCRC).
Erlich’s priorities include developing and enhancing relationships with law enforcement, sharing information and intelligence, creating communication networks across the Jewish community institutions and working with law enforcement to identify and address vulnerabilities beyond the doors and walls of the institutions. He will share best practices and learnings with other communities under threat across the county.
Ed Day, Rockland County executive, said that he was “proud to be here, to endorse, show support in this initiative. We have to deal with hate in this county and can’t ignore it. We are looking to stay ahead of the problem. The idea here is prevention.
“Any of the resources necessary to our law enforcement personnel from county government will find their way there in order to assist in this effort,” Day continued. “We are 100% behind this effort.”
Other Jewish and community leaders and elected officials speaking at the press conference included Eric Goldstein, president and CEO, UJA Federation of New York; Rockland County Sheriff’s Captain Tony DeColyse; Mitch Silber, executive director, CSI, JCRC; Tom Walsh, Rockland County district attorney; and Marcy Pressman, board co-president, Jewish Federation & Foundation of Rockland County.
The Jewish Federation & Foundation of Rockland County’s security initiative is supported by UJA Federation of New York with matching funding from the LiveSecure project of the Jewish Federation of North America. The Jewish Federation & Foundation of Rockland County joined with the Community Security Initiative (CSI) of the JCRC) to develop the security initiative to help secure Jewish lives, institutions and congregations and to empower communities to take action against antisemitism.
Rockland’s security initiative is indeed a needed journey toward communal security for the Jewish community. As Rosenblum said, ”We expect that we’ll learn from this experience, and we’ll be able to share it with other communities.”
For more information about the program and how to apply at: https://jewishrockland.org/security-inquiry-form
