The attack that injured several people at a rabbi’s home in Rockland County downstate on Saturday night has heightened concerns about security at Jewish institutions in many locations including Rochester. Five people were wounded at the home of a rabbi in Monsey, NY. It happened as members of the Orthodox Jewish community were celebrating Hanukkah.
The alleged attacker faces charges of attempted murder.
Mark Henderson is the former Brighton Police Chief, who in September took a new role as the Regional Director of Community Security for the Jewish Federation of Greater Rochester.
And he says this past weekend’s attack has already prompted conversation about what additional steps may be needed locally to help protect the local Jewish community.
“I’m sure in the coming days there will be a number of conversations, on, ’is this something that could occur in the Rochester area?’ Unfortunately, it could, and are there measures and steps that can be taken to prevent a situation like that? And we’ll work on those efforts,” Henderson said.
Henderson has been focusing a lot of his efforts on protecting synagogues and other locations where members of the local Jewish community gather. Even though the Rockland County attack happened inside a private home, Henderson says a lot of what he worked on when he was a police chief, in terms of crime prevention and making sure people are aware of their surroundings, can be used to help not only Jews but all members of the local community feel more secure in their homes.
And Henderson also notes the Jewish Federation of Greater Rochester has also been involved in a fundraising campaign to help synagogues and other local Jewish organizations who need financial assistance toughening up security measures at their venues.
Henderson says there has been an increase in anti-Semitic activity across the country, and he says the latest attack, as well as others that occurred in Brooklyn recently, and the deadly attacks this month in Jersey City and last year in Pittsburgh, have also caused more concern among members of the Rocheester Jewish community.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Rochester responded to the Rockland County attack with a message on Facebook:
On the cusp of 2020, we are once again horrified by a brutal antisemitic attack. Last night, five people were viciously stabbed in a rabbi’s home, during a Chanukah celebration in Monsey, New York.
Coming on the heels of the vicious attack on a kosher grocery store in New Jersey, this crime is one more horrendous reminder of the staggering rise in antisemitism in our country and around the world.
We share our deepest sympathy with all of those impacted by this violence. We will continue our work to build bridges in our community to reduce antisemitism, hate and violence.
A suspect is now in custody. We are closely monitoring the security situation in our community and are working in partnership with law enforcement to help keep us safe.
Julie Nusbaum, President
Meredith Dragon, CEO
Mark Henderson, Director of Jewish Community Security
