It seems that in the short term, we react. Heinous sexual abuse—lots of instant opinions. Gunman in a shul—the same.

In a few weeks our enthusiasm and attention will wane and we will again get caught up with our day-to-day lives.

If I might offer a concrete suggestion regarding one subset of security: We must harden our targets.

1. It seems to go without saying, but must be said: All doors should be appropriately sturdy and self-locking (and not propped open).

2. Security cameras and such are useless if they feed a monitor that is not monitored or worse yet, locked in an office out of sight.

3. Impact-resistant windows protect against snowballs—not bullets.

4. If your sanctuary, classroom or office windows provide a beautiful view of the outdoors, they also provide a clear view in. Consider a frost overlay—or for aesthetics, a stained glass overlay.

The list goes on and on. A self-examination is vital.

Lastly, coming to or from services/class, etc.—gathering outdoors before or after create highly vulnerable situations, which must be examined.

Might I also suggest that although dialogue is important, to date most attackers have been individuals, “lone wolves,” so to speak. Dialogue and logic are unlikely to deter such miscreants.

We cannot live our lives looking over our shoulder, but neither should we be oblivious to potential danger.