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Armed Guards Aren’t the Answer

JL;DR SUMMARY Liel Leibovitz critiques the heavy security measures at Jewish institutions in response to rising antisemitism, arguing that they contribute to a siege mentality and undermine Jewish communal life. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

Jewish EducationJewish IdentitySynagoguesCommunitySelf DefenseSecurityEmpowermentArmed GuardsYouth Training

Places mentioned

New York City, New York, United States
"On a recent Sunday in New York City, my family and I went on a walk that turned from a nice neighborhood stroll into a survey of our current state of institutional security."
Detroit, Michigan, United States
"We all know the statistics showing a sharp spike in antisemitism, and we can all speak intelligently about the most recent attempt in Detroit, in Denver, you name it to harm Jews wherever we congregate."
Denver, Colorado, United States
"We all know the statistics showing a sharp spike in antisemitism, and we can all speak intelligently about the most recent attempt in Detroit, in Denver, you name it to harm Jews wherever we congregate."
Paris, France
"Spend some time in the real world, and you realize that communities tend to fall into one of two categories: Paris or Texas."
Texas, United States
"Spend some time in the real world, and you realize that communities tend to fall into one of two categories: Paris or Texas."
Manchester, United Kingdom
"Consider the attack, last Yom Kippur, on the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation in Manchester, England: The attacker, Jihad al-Shamie, began his rampage by ramming his vehicle into the security guard outside the shul at 9:30 a.m."

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Retrieved 2026-05-01 05:30:52 UTC
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