Security and Anti-Semitism
Responding to the bomb threats at our JCCs and Jewish schools, and to the burst of anti-Semitic incidents nationally, the US Attorney's office convened a roundtable for Jewish communal leaders last Wednesday, March 15.
David Bernat, SCM's Executive Director, attended, representing the Synagogue community statewide.
The meeting was led by Acting US Attorney for the District of Massachusetts William D. Weinreb. With Mr. Weinreb were members of his prosecutorial team, heads of the Boston FBI office, and a representative from the Department of Homeland Security. Attendees also benefited from the expertise of Jeremy Yamin, CJP's Director of Security, and Ken Berkowitz, Canton's Chief of Police (and member of Temple Sinai, Sharon).
We were grateful for the meeting, and for the fact that our concerns were receiving attention at the highest levels. Law enforcement efforts just resulted in the arrest of a perpetrator, as covered in the media. Attorney General Sessions released the following statement:
"Today's arrest in Israel is the culmination of a large-scale investigation spanning multiple continents for hate crimes against Jewish communities across our country. The Department of Justice is committed to protecting the civil rights of all Americans, and we will not tolerate the targeting of any community in this country on the basis of their religious beliefs. I commend the FBI and Israeli National Police for their outstanding work on this case."
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