Is Private Security the Best Option for Protecting Jewish Communities?

As the Los Angeles Jewish community settles into another Shabbat, there is a looming cloud of concern about security. A suspect is in custody in the Pico-Robertson shootings, but violence and antisemitism have been an unfortunate and recurring burden facing Jews around the world. Security is no doubt going to be a hot topic throughout the community.

But at a time when police departments are having their funding cut and experiencing major retainment issues, response time for emergency services when you call 9-1-1 has been rising at concerning levels. 

In Los Angeles, there are several organizations that specialize in supplementing public security specifically for the Jewish community — some volunteer and some for hire.

A few spoke with the Journal in the wake of the shootings, including Evan Bernstein, CEO and national director of Community Security Service (CSS). The sole aim of CSS is to “protect Jewish life and the Jewish way of life.” 

Before touting his organization, Bernstein made sure to laud law enforcement authorities.

“First of all, let’s be grateful for the Los Angeles Police Department and how law enforcement stepped up and how fast they made the arrest and how people did not have to go into Shabbat wondering whether or not there was a perpetrator out there who was allegedly shooting people that were wearing yarmulkes and were Jewish, and I think that that’s a huge win,” Bernstein told the Journal.

“I think the other piece is it shows the climate that we’re in and that we need to be diligent as a Jewish community, but we cannot let these kinds of acts of hate prevent us from practicing our Judaism and from going to synagogue. And even though the numbers continuously go up and we’re seeing more and more of these acts of hate, even on the East Coast, we saw what took place in Penn Station and everything else that when we are dealing with these kinds of incidents, that we need to be able to still practice our Judaism and do it in a way where we are aware of our surroundings, aware of the threats that are around us, but not let that prevent us from practicing our religion.”

CSS is made up of volunteers, and Bernstein said that nobody is going to care more about what’s going on inside a community than a volunteer. Bernstein added that it’s critical to empower the Jewish community to work in conjunction with local law enforcement or private security to “be a force amplifier.”

“The key is that no one’s going to know the physical plant better, no one’s going to know who belongs or doesn’t belong better than a volunteer, and especially a well-trained volunteer,” Bernstein said. “Local law enforcement may rotate at a particular institution. Private security may also rotate. They’re not members of the community typically, and may not know the physical plant the way volunteers do.”

Bernstein offered the example of a bar or bat mitzvah. In this case, a volunteer will know which door is going to be left open when the caterer arrives. He says that it’s those litttle nuances that only a volunteer may know. But it’s not a question of hired security or volunteers, it’s a collaboration of both that makes the difference. 

Another prominent nonprofit specializing in security for the Jewish community is Magen Am. Founded in 2015, Magen Am is Hebrew for “nation’s shield.” Their licensed armed security professionals can be seen deployed and protecting synagogues. 

In 2020, when violence broke out around town in the wake of the George Floyd protests, the Journal reported on Magen Am receiving calls to provide patrols around defined Jewish neighborhoods in Hancock Park, North Hollywood and the Pico-Robertson community. 

“There’s the message of, ‘We are not a soft target. We are a hard place to get into,’ which will deter the majority of people.” Magen Am President Rabbi Yossi Eilfort told the Journal. 

Magen Am also provided security for the Hatzolah Emergency Medical Services of Los Angeles. Hatzolah provides additional pre-hospital services that would typically be provided by LAFD emergency medical technicians. They patrol the areas of Fairfax/La Brea, Pico-Robertson and North Hollywood. They’re a volunteer service, so when they’re called, it doesn’t make a difference if the victim is uninsured. 

There is also Chaverim North America, which specializes in providing free road assistance and other non-medical emergency help at home or on the road. Chaverim is currently located in 23 cities in the U.S. and Canada. 

Another group is Shmira Public Safety, established in 2022 in response to the rise in crime in Jewish neighborhoods in Los Angeles, as well as Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island and the Catskills in New York. Shmira is another trained volunteer force that patrols neighborhoods. “Shmira” comes from the Hebrew word that means “safeguarding.”

While much emphasis is put on protecting synagogues and events, a growing concern is about anti-Jewish crime waged on the streets and sidewalks. 

While much emphasis is put on protecting synagogues and events, a growing concern is about anti-Jewish crime waged on the streets and sidewalks. And that’s what concerns AEGIS Security and Investigations President and CEO Jeff Zisner.

“The problem with this kind of crime is that it’s occurring on the street — you’re not in a secured space,” Zisner told the Journal. “Some people are clearly identifiable [as Jewish], especially near shuls. A security presence creates an opportunity for a professional to identify a person engaging in suspicious behavior on just a typical day. Security isn’t just one component. It’s a layered approach that requires forethought and requires consistency and requires a level of professionalism to be done properly.” 

AEGIS is a Los Angeles-based security guard service that has clients far beyond the Jewish community, including retail loss prevention, hotels and resorts, entertainment studios and banks. The service also has partnerships and deployments throughout the Jewish community. 

As a security business, AEGIS offers an alternative to relying on nonprofits. AEGIS has resources to increase security presence for hire, but in times like these, the funding and personnel might prove to be out of budget for many small but threatened Jewish communities. 

The local Jewish Federation has been instrumental in coordinating security efforts throughout the community. 

“Coordinated effort on security is critical,” Bernstein (CSS) said. “One of our closest partners is the Community Security Initiative (CSI), which is part of the Los Angeles [Jewish] Federation.”

CSI was founded in 2012 to “combat the rising threat of terrorism” and protect “every Jewish school, synagogue, summer camp, and organization in Jewish Los Angeles,” according to its website. “CSI functions as a single point of contact for critical incident coordination, information and intelligence sharing, safety and security training, and resources for Jewish institutions across L.A. and offers the individuals within these establishments the necessary instruction and awareness to arm themselves against potential threats. The initiative is a link to a network of Jewish communal organizations and provides unprecedented access to federal, state, and local emergency services.”

CSI’s services include site visits and vulnerability assessments, a 24/7 analysis center, training on making organizations a harder target, as well as classroom teaching sessions.

CSI’s services include site visits and vulnerability assessments, a 24/7 analysis center, training on making organizations a harder target, as well as classroom teaching sessions.