Next Thursday, October 24th, from 1 to 4:30 p.m., there will be a forum where faith leaders and community leaders can learn about how to protect their places of worship from hate crimes. This will happen at Sinai Temple. From the event description:
“Federal and local criminal justice, law enforcement, and safety experts will provide practical tips regarding emergency planning, fortifying structures, and how to respond to active shooter situations.”
The event is hosted by the cities of Champaign and Urbana, University of Illinois, Sinai Temple, and the U.S. Department of Justice. If you’d like to participate, you need to register here by October 21st.
I have a lot of feelings about this. I want people to be able to worship in a safe environment; it’s utterly terrible that this event has to exist. I hate that in this country we have to use the word “fortify” in the context of a place of worship. See also active shooter drills in schools and propositions to arm teachers.
You can read a little about this reality at Sinai Temple in our interview with Rabbi Alan Cook.
Image from Facebook event page