[PHOTOS BY JDN IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]

Holiday briefings were held at the home of Florida Chaplain Mark Rosenberg on Erev Rosh Hashana to discuss holiday prayer schedules and special safety precautions needed during the high holidays. The pre holiday briefings were held with multiple law enforcement agencies. Among them, various Agencies under the directions of Major Cristopher Dellapietra of Troop E of Florida Highway State Troopers, Chief Bill Hernandez of the North Miami Beach Police Dept., Major Saima Plasencia of MDPD, Troy Walker, Special Agent in Charge of FDLE Miami Regional Operations center.

This very sensitive detail, coordinated by Lt. Tom Buchanan and Sgt. Samir of the MDPD, Sgt Molina of FHP, and Major Rant of the NMBPD has been in place for the past few years.

Important Meetings were also held in Tallahassee (Florida’s Capitol) with Colonel Gene Spaulding, Director of the Florida Highway Patrol. Commissioner Richard Swearingen of FDLE and Secretary Julie Jones of Dept of Corrections to discuss holiday needs. Colonel Spaulding stressed the importance of such communication and ensured that special Holiday details will be put in place throughout the state providing extra patrol during the Holidays. In attendance were FHP Chaplain and Director of CSE Mark Rosenberg, Rabbi Oirechman of Chabad of Tallahassee and David Katz from CSE.

A pre-holiday meeting also took place at the office of Dade County Mayor’s Carlos Gimenez hosted by Deputy Mayor Russel Benford in attendance were the Medical Examiner’s office, Florida Highway Patrol, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Miami Corrections Dept, Fire Rescue, Jewish Federation, Director Perez of the Miami Dade Police Dept and staff leaders of Miami International Airport. Chaplain Rosenberg thanked all these agencies for being so sensitive to all rituals and needs of the Orthodox communities all year around but especially during the holiday times. Deputy Mayor Benford host’s Holiday meetings prior to significant Jewish Holidays to ensure all needs are met and sees these meetings as an important endeavor, said Chaplain Rosenberg.

The Jewish community is grateful for the increase visibility during the late hours of the night as families walk home very late after the holiday meals and to and from Shuls.
Chaplain and CSE Director Mark Rosenberg has been working with all law enforcement agencies, providing calendars, maps and other important information, so these departments can understand the community needs during these times.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)