Faith-Based Daily Awareness Post 19 December 2023

These updates are shared to help raise the situational awareness of Faith-Based organizations to best defend against and mitigate the impacts from all-hazards threats including physical security, cybersecurity, and natural disasters. 

Volunteers help stop attack at Georgetown synagogue using security training skills

ABC 7 News reports:

A group of volunteers at a Georgetown synagogue helped stop an attack on worshipers over the weekend.

…

Volunteers, who are members of the congregation, and trained by Community Security Services, a private security firm based out of New York, helped identify the threat and stepped in to stop the attack

.…

The Kesher Isreal Synagogue told 7News:

“Every American should feel safe in their place of worship, and I am deeply disturbed by increased frequency and intensity of anti-Semitic incidents targeting our congregation. We thank God no one was seriously hurt, but this event further demonstrates why Jewish people are feeling unsafe in their institutions.

All too often, the burden of protecting ourselves falls to our congregants. We need government and law enforcement to further strengthen their partnerships with Jewish communities, including by providing additional funding for security personnel and infrastructure. And we urge the wider community in joining us in speaking out against these hateful attacks.

Rabbi Hyim Shafner

Kesher Israel Synagogue”

7News is not identifying the volunteers at the synagogue who stopped the threat because they will be back to continue to protect the building and everyone who comes to the synagogue peacefully to worship.

Related Items:

• Arrest made in assault near Georgetown synagogue, police say
• ‘I was afraid’: DC rabbi talks about antisemitic attack outside Georgetown synagogue
• Man arrested in antisemitic attack outside Georgetown synagogue
• DC police arrest attacker outside Georgetown shul

Analyst Comments:

The above incident occurred at an FB-ISAO member organization. The member promptly shared information with the FB-ISAO team and on FB-ISAO Slack. The member has also shared incident reports with the Metropolitan Police Department, the DC Fusion Center, the Secure Community Network, and other partners with an interest in incidents occurring at Jewish facilities.

Working with the member organization, FB-ISAO will publish a report which will include a description of the incident, actions taken, and lessons learned.

Also working with the member and featuring the member’s own description and assessment of the response to the incident, the FB-ISAO will host an incident review on 04 January at 3pm ET. The session is open to members of FB-ISAO. To sign-up for FB-ISAO membership and to participate in the incident review, please visit our membership page. https://faithbased-isao.org/membership FB-ISAO members also have access to up-to-the-minute threat and security information on FB-ISAO Slack

Bomb Threat Update

Bomb threats continue against house of worship, almost exclusively against synagogues and other Jewish facilities. Yesterday’s DAP  provided some resources for dealing with bomb threats, suspicious packages, and swatting incidents.

• More than 400 Jewish facilities received false bomb threats this weekend, non-profit says
• Boynton Beach temple one of more than 30 institutions in Florida targeted with written bomb threat
• KY: Police respond to bomb threat at Temple Adath Israel in Lexington
• ME: Jewish temple was searched by police after a bomb threat was called in, Rabbi says
• NEW VIDEO: False bomb threat reported at Temple Israel Tallahassee; FBI warns of increased threats
• Hoax bomb threat reported at northwest Oklahoma City synagogue

Weekly Security Sprint 47. New SEC rules, AI, embezzlement, ransomware and more.

The Gate 15 Security Sprint is a weekly rundown of the week’s notable all-hazards security news, risks and threats and some of the key focus areas for organizations to consider behind the headlines. Gate 15 team members discuss physical security, cybersecurity, natural hazards, health threats and other issues across our environment.

In this year-end Security Sprint, Dave and Andy discuss:

• Happy Holidays and Happy New Cyber Incident Reporting Requirements!
• Seasonal Security Reminders
• UK NPSA: Social Media Auditors
• Cardinal found guilty of embezzlement in Vatican ‘trial of the century’
• Ransomware & Cyber Threat Updates

The above Gate 15 Weekly Security Sprint website also provides links to many security-related items of interest.

Information on other Gate 15 blogs can be found at Podcasts (gate15.global).

Reminder of Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) Webinars Today and Tomorrow

DHS Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships Invitation: Non-Profit Security Grant Program FY2024 Winter Webinar Series + Other DHS Resources