Dear YWN readers,
After the tragedy in Merkaz HaRav in Yerushalaim, and the attempted storming of the Mekor Chaim yeshiva in Gush Etzion we need to wake up.
I believe that it is irresponsible of yeshivos even in the US not to have armed security. Do you think they can’t hit us here in America? Do you think they don’t know where we are? Must we wait chalilla for something to happen here to jolt us out of our false warm and fuzzy feeling of security?
What are we waiting for?!
Some may say that you can’t really expect to have adequate security and that if someone was determined enough he/they can get through anyway. Maybe. But what of our hishtadlus? Are we not obligated to at least try? How can we not do all that is physically possible to protect ourselves and the future of our nation?
What are we waiting for?!
Editors Response:
Thanks for your important letter.
This imperative issue has once before been addressed on this website, in form of a mailbag letter written by a major in emergency management and homeland security. Although he did not mention the need for armed guards, he did have some other important tips for Mosdos. Click HERE to read the letter.
Thanks for writing, and as usual, we will leave the forum open to discussion.
YWN Editor.
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23 Responses
People in the US are asleep. What should have been a wake up call on 9/11 ended up becoming old news fairly fast due to all the PC in this country. Our enemies have an abundance of time and patience. It’s a tremendous Ness that our intelligence efforts are stopping attacks from occuring again.
But, they keep trying and all they need to do is succeed once, only once. And the devistation that it can cause will hurt. For most Americans there’s no alternative. But for us Yiddin, we have our real homeland, Eretz Yisroel.
Chas V’Sholom that we should not be vigilant and constantly realize that we are not safe here. There’s a tremendous amount of shmirah in Eretz Yisroel. I know that sometimes we get hurt there as well, but overall, we are safe there.
I am curious to see when will mass-aliya start in the Chareidi circles.
you cant go into a shul (or other other institution) in europe without being searched at the door. why should the us be any different? is there less threats there (where the national govt pays off the terrorists) than here (where the supposedly dont pay off?)
This seems to be well intended and well written letter, stemming out of care and concern for their fellow brothers and sisters.
However genuine Daas Torah (not my thoughts to which I search to for some “proofs” from the Torah), will probably be consulted, in most cases at least, as certain measures of hishtadlus are necessary, and certain not.. based on the varying situations.
it may be important, but who is going to pay for it? If it has to come out of our pockets, although i am of the belief that it can happen, i am not of the belief that that it will happen. If you want to pay for it, i wil be willing to go through the searches and the hassle but not if it is going to hurt my pocket. I ahev enough expenses alredy, i don’t need to add one to a cause that is probaly not going to happen.
Well.. in the shul I daven at in miami.. theres at least 10 guys carrying concealed during the week and 5 in shabbos (theres a eruv) but for other shul’s it might be a good idea.. deepthinker will tell us how we are guests in america 😉
In my humble opinion, all school administrators should be fluent in the use of, and own a gun, that is kept locked up on school property. A little precaution can deter a lot of trouble, Chas veshalom.
please–please–listen to this person who states that every yeshiva should try their very best to have an armed guard. This is vital!!!! I don’t like or want to be an alarmist -but sometimes we have to face reality..If an institution can’t or won’t hire a guard, then at least make sure that someone has a weapon and and has learned how to use it. I worry..
#1
“ura’y B’TUV YERUSHALAYIM” the posuk says.
ERETZ YISROEL IS A PLACE WE SHOULD GO TO [return to!!!] ……
BECAUSE THAT’S WHERE A BEN/BAS AVROHOM ,YITZCHOK , V’YAKOV BELONGS !!!!!!
– NOT BECAUSE WE MIGHT HAVE TO RUN – SO RUN THERE!
LET’S BE ZOCHE B’KOROV TO PARTICIPATE [BEGIN?] IN THE “CHAREIDI MASS ALIYA” that you refer to in your comments !!!
Kahane _ was_ wrong, the mass aliyah will take place when the true geulah sheleimah will happen. When Moshiach Ben dovid will proclaim that golus has ended, then all jews will gather from all the corners in world to the holy land and the state of Israel will be over. Thats when the mass aliyah will take place. Kahane was wrong and his movement was wrong. Jews don’t act with force, its not the jewish way.
…What should have been a wake up call WAY BEFORE 9/11…. Bombimgs and terror attacks had been going on before then r”l…Yeshivot and shuls are targets for our enemies and security is definitely needed…..If these tragedies cannot be a wake up call for Israel and the US let it be a wake up call for us….L’shana habah B’Yerushalyim!!!!
Are you willing to pay for this security? Are you willing to donate large amounts of money on top of what you already give to put these security systems into place? Because they don’t just cost a couple hundred dollars – it can be upwards of tens of thousands of dollars. And too many of the organizations that need the security are struggling to keep the lights on and provide the services they are providing.
This is a very important issue. The Homeland Security Grant is due tomorrow…how many Shuls, community centers, & Mosdos took advantage & applied? I’m a grant writer & I submitted two separate applications for local not-for-profits. However, I know for a fact that many more NFP organizations (including Yeshivas) in my small area of Brooklyn should have applied, but didn’t. Their reasons included not being able to write the grant & not “waking up” until today. So they are out of the running for $75,000 for security equipment.
And while I’m addressing this issue, how about stepping up to the plate & supporting local community patrols? Shmira needs huge amounts to keep going. Where is the financial support for Crown Heights to send out Shmira patrols in cars when there’s another racial beating or riot? What about the recent beatings of Bochurim in Williamsburg? Graffiti & hate messages on cars & buildings?
If the Jewish community doesn’t acknowledge the potential seriousness of the situation & act accordingly, I’m afraid we will see (Chas V’sholom) another Merkaz HaRav, only this time a lot closer to home.
The Rambam says in the section with sanctify your life al kidush Hasem (check the exact quote) that a person who can run away from a country that wants to forcibly convert people or kill them and he stays to die al kidush Hashem is like a dog who eats up his own vomit.
If we beef up shmira of our mouths in shul, Hashem will protect us.
We, as Jews, are all in galus, everywhere. Period.
All this Zionist propaganda (innocent though it may be, here) is, frankly, nauseating.
First, none of us are neviim and, therefore nobody truly knows where is safest. Speaking of Navi, there is plenty out there, bifeirush in the navi (and gemara) that deals with the subject. Have you checked it out?
Second, like every other incident that the Zionists try to play to their favor to get aliyah going, 9/11 is a purely emotional yet highly illogical and mistaken reason to move to Israel. As the Israeli leaders at the time, always trying – and failing – to convince the world that they are “good”, said, Israel has had many 9/11s. So in a simplistic comparison between one 9/11 vs. many, which place would seem safer?
I do not wish to waste time by elaborating further – it has all been said elsewhere and is a matter of history – Zionism has been a disaster for world Jewry for tens of years, despite whatever “good” MAY have happened to have come up from it.
Most importantly, where will you be a better Jew (yes, inclu-ding vachai bahem, of course)? In the US? England? France? Zimbabwe? So whatever works for you seems to be the most sensible road to take, not emotional phony reasons like “move to Israel because 9/11 happened and Jews were, G-d forbid, lost on that day….”
Ask your local orthodox Rabbi, maybe, what’s best in general, and for you, in particular.
May Hashem protect all of His people, wherever they may be living and may Hashem end the galus and bring mashiach tzidkeinu, bimheirah biyameinu, Amein.
#2 MiMedinat HaYam; that just means that there’s more of a problem, not the issue isn’t important and true.
I grew up in a small town. The Jewish day school, JCC and Orthodox shul have all had a buzzer entry system (except on Shabbos) since the first Gulf War. On the Yamim Noraim, a security guard is hired also
#9 et al – not the Jewish way mlchatchilah, maybe, but out of neccessity… haba lhorgecha hashkem lhorgo – someone is coming to kill you – kill him first…
this is nothing new:
firstly in Brooklyn they higher security like crazy,there are atleast 2 cops per a corner and who knows what secret security there is?
BMG(lakewood yeshivah), brings in secret service for the yomim noraim.
Bais Yaakov of Boro Park has a security gaurd at the door.
Most schools have hiddenn cameras, what do you think its there for? to see whose cutting class?! rather for security perposes.
and each shul cant have security, who do you expect to be a gaurd?
“HaKatan” –
I couldn’t agree with you more.
I am not a Zionist. On the contrary, I ascribe to Rav Miller Z”L’s philosophy and am against Medinas Israel for all the reasons that any thinking Yid should be.
That said, there’s no denying that when a person lives in Eretz Yisroel, their lifestyle is a more spiritual one. When living in the American “avir”, you get pulled into the mess even when you try to keep away.
BMG(lakewood yeshivah), brings in secret service for the yomim noraim.
For the life of me I can’t figure out why the Dept. of the Treasury cares about BMG or Yomin Noraim.
#20: While Eretz Yisrael is more spiritual, there are many unfortunate elements in Eretz Yisrael that can bring down one’s level of spirituality, from the current rulers and their policies and outlook, to the culture (if you can call it that) and other factors, as well.
Today’s corrosive society is a universal challenge, but one should not delude oneself that one is best off in Eretz Yisrael because of how spiritual it is, only to discover that there are other issues in spirituality that must be properly addressed.
#9.. RAV kahane was right in this regard “every jew a .22” he had semicha from yeshivas mir and wrote seforimn so have some kavod.
Stay in america if you want.. but arm yourself.