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February 21, 2003/Adar1 19 5763, Vol. 55, No. 26
Enhancing security
American Jews take heightened terror alert in stride
MATTHEW E. BERGER
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
David Waldner isn't going to let new warnings that terrorists might be targeting U.S. Jewish sites change his routine.
"I'm not going to stop what I'm doing because someone said, 'It's orange today,' " Waldner said as his 21-month-old son, Dylan, used a stair handrail as a jungle gym outside the District of Columbia's Jewish Community Center.
Waldner's use of the word "orange" referred to the increased state of alert announced by the U.S. government.
Waldner's sentiment was shared by other members of Washington's Jewish community interviewed at the JCC: They said they would live their lives as before despite the upgraded alerts.
In New York, meanwhile, the state of alert was all too visible. Masked anti-terror police with machine guns stood guard Feb. 8 outside the city's Temple Emanu-El.
Newsweek reported that FBI officials began contacting Jewish leaders Feb. 14 to warn them to be especially vigilant and to enhance security at Sabbath services and other weekend events, law enforcement sources said.
State and local police also were asked to provide extra patrols for Jewish events.
Officials said the new information warned about the possibility of attacks by Al-Qaida on synagogues, Jewish community centers, Jewish or Jewish-owned hospitals, youth groups, hotels and resorts.
"This is a full-court press," one FBI official told the magazine about the bureau's sudden outreach to Jewish groups. "There's real anxiety about this."
In Phoenix, the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix held a security workshop for community organizations on Feb. 18.
The "JCRC is working behind the scenes with official authorities to provide timely and vital information to all Jewish agencies and organizations in helping to keep the Jewish community safe," said Shirley Norris, federation marketing director.
Presenters included Bill Straus, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, and representatives from the Phoenix Police Department, Scottsdale Police Department and the Department of Public Safety.
In Washington, officials at several Jewish sites said security has been a particular priority since Sept. 11. The government's latest announcement did not prompt specific actions or keep people away, the officials said.
Since Sept. 11, members of the JCC have had to show identification to enter, and additional security staffers were hired for the building. In addition, local police tried to beef up their patrols around the center.
But increased security did not stop numerous people from coming to the JCC, for classes or to use the fitness facilities.
"I think not only is the threat speculative, no one with a modicum of self-respect would change their patterns of behavior to accommodate terrorists," said Steven Aftergood, who came to the JCC on Feb. 16 for a Hebrew class.
Several people said they were skeptical about the announcement, saying it could be motivated by a need to increase support for U.S. military action against Iraq.
"There's war-mongering, and this could very well be a part of that," said Sue Roemer, cantor emeritus at Temple Beth Ami in Rockville, Md.
The Washington area has been vigilant since the Sept. 11 attacks, and it became even more security conscious after last fall's sniper spree that terrorized the local community.
At Adas Israel, a Conservative synagogue and one of Washington's Jewish landmarks, each family was charged $100 to pay for increased security costs.
Now, the synagogue has several entrances closed and a full-time security staff. Large events are also coordinated with the city's police department.
The alert came as the Anti-Defamation League was holding its annual National Executive Committee meeting in Palm Beach, Fla.
Leaders received calls from the FBI, informing them of the heightened alert and asking them to circulate the information to other Jewish organizations.
"There's no specific indication that Jewish sites have been targeted," said the ADL's national director, Abraham Foxman, "but the fact that they reached out to us means that somewhere, someone felt that there was a specific need to reach out to the Jewish community."
Staff writer Beth Olson contributed to this article.
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