Across Canada over the weekend, synagogues gathered virtually to pray for the safety of the hostages at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas. After an hours-long standoff between the FBI and an armed gunman, the situation ended with only the hostage-taker killed and all hostages safe.
Meanwhile, nervous Jewish community leaders got in touch with their local police forces, which promised to step up patrols around Jewish buildings for a while. And the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs says they want the federal government to give Canada’s Jewish communities more money to hire permanent security guards year-round, not just on the high holidays.
What impact does this latest attack on Jews have here in Canada? Will there be threats of copycats? Are our schools and shuls safe, as parents and administrators stay on high alert? Adam Cohen, a longtime security advisor in Montreal, joins to discuss.
What we talked about:
- Visit Adam Cohen’s security firm at perceptage.com
- Listen to The CJN Daily episode “How safe are Canada’s Jewish institutions from attacks?” at thecjn.ca
- Winnipeg Rabbi Kliel Rose says his heart ‘just sank’ when he learned his friend Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker was a hostage in the Texas synagogue
- Jewish buildings in some parts of Canada had police patrols ramped up due to the Texas synagogue hostage situation
- Listen to The CJN Daily episode “Canada’s Oldest Person: Cecile Klein marks 114 years” at thecjn.ca, and read Klein’s obituary at paperman.com
Credits
The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Victoria Redden is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We’re a member of The CJN Podcast Network; find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca.
