Police Presence in Jewish Communities

It was an attack that’s left Jewish people around the world and here at home in shock. Local Rabbis have been scrambling for an increase in security for their communities.

Hearts are broken around the world, an impact felt everywhere and especially within the Jewish community.

What’s most shocking to the Jews here in Hamilton is that yesterday’s mass murder happened on the Sabbath.

Rabbi Jordan Cohen says the idea of locking their doors is not appealing, but new precautions must be taken.

Rabbi Daniel Green wrote in a memo to members of Adas Isreal “We recognize the urgent need for increased measures to safeguard our community. Immediate steps will be taken to review, reinforce, and enhance existing protocols.”.

The Jewish Federation of Canada called for an increased police presence near Jewish facilities across the country. You could see that in Hamilton today, officers here along with other services like Niagara and Halton, made a point of patrolling areas near synagogues.

Members of the local Jewish community say they’ve faced a long history of anti-semitism and that they will continue to stand together in solidarity.

The three Hamilton synagogues are organizing a community based multi-faith vigil to be held at city hall sometime this week. They are also planning mourning services in hopes of bringing a sense of comfort to those who may need it.