Dear JCC/CJDS Community,

There are no words to express the sadness and outrage we feel about the tragedy in Pittsburgh. The horror of the Tree of Life synagogue is a sobering reminder of the brokenness of our world. Our hearts are with our sisters and brothers in Pittsburgh, and we recognize that an attack on them is an attack on all of us.

Naturally, we all think about the safety of the JCC/CJDS facility and community at times like these. As you may know, we have a detailed security plan that was developed in collaboration with police and security professionals, and we review it regularly. While we continue to hope that we will never rely on it, we regularly practice drills to ensure that our children, faculty and staff are prepared. We regularly revisit and adjust the plan as necessary, and will continue to do so.

Security requires a community effort. While we have a detailed security plan in place it is important that you, the members of this community, help in keeping JCC/CJDS both safe and welcoming. Please DO NOT prop open or hold the door for anyone, regardless of whether or not you believe the person should have access to the facility and especially for someone you don't recognize, even at the risk of seeming impolite. As a closed facility, it is important that we control who has access to the building. Everyone who is allowed access to the building has been issued a key fob or will be admitted to the building by the front desk staff AFTER they verify that the person should have access and AFTER an instant background check is performed. If someone is not allowed access, their key fob will be disabled or the front desk will not allow them in. Likewise, if you ever you see or hear something that seems out of the ordinary, please say something.

As always, the New Albany Police have been exceptionally responsive to our requests and needs. We have arranged for their presence throughout the coming week.

I know that the JCC and CJDS faculties have practices in place to comfort your children, answer their questions and offer reassurance and to make sure that their pride in being Jewish and American remains strong and serves as a guide for how to conduct themselves in the world.

I join you and your family in praying for the day that we see an end to hate and violence and heartbreaking tragedies.

-Ken Rubin, Chair JCC/CJDS Security Committee