'Threat is real': Jewish nonprofit offers free security training to combat antisemitism
Two weeks ago, security expert Richard Priem was in Washington, D.C. Now he's headed to Boulder, Colorado, chasing down the latest incident of violent antisemitism.
"I wish we weren't necessary and out of business," said Priem, CEO of Community Security Service, a New York-based nonprofit that offers free professional-level security training for Jewish communities nationwide.
But after the second attack on Jewish people in two weeks, he said, his efforts to teach community members to protect themselves are more essential than ever.
"Think of it as a force amplifier," said Priem, whose nonprofit is privately funded. "We have to be vigilant. (The June 1) event shows why this is needed."
That day in Boulder, Colorado, eight people who had been peacefully marching for the release of Jewish hostages in Gaza were attacked by a Muslim man who said he wanted to kill all supporters of the Jewish state, known as Zionists. He tossed Molotov cocktails and used a flamethrower to injure a dozen people, two of whom remain hospitalized, authorities said.
It follows a shooting two weeks ago in the District of Columbia in which two young Jewish advocates were killed by a man claiming he "did it for Palestine."
Israelis and Palestinians have been at war since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas, an extremist militant group, stormed an Israeli music festival near the Gaza border, killed 1,200 people in communities there and took 251 hostages with them back into Gaza. The Israeli military responded with an offensive that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians. The last surviving American hostage taken by Hamas was freed May 12.
Priem said his organization has worked with about 500 synagogues and provided some form of training to nearly 15,000 people.
"More and more Jewish organizations are calling us to work with law enforcement and private security to keep their community safe," Priem said. "People are realizing the threat is real and isn't going away."
As antisemitic violence and threats climb across America, Priem said even small groups of demonstrators such as "Run For Their Lives," the Jewish organization that was attacked in Boulder, now need safety training, because police and paid private security can't be everywhere.
He is traveling to Boulder to meet with local volunteer teams ahead of an annual Jewish festival June 8 and see if others nearby want his services. He declined to say how many volunteers are in the region, citing safety concerns.
Priem believes Community Security Service, or CSS, founded in 2007, was the first U.S. organization to bring a mindset long held by other Jewish communities globally that protecting themselves begins with taking ownership of their security. The nonprofit works closely with local law enforcement and the Anti-Defamation League, a nonprofit that combats antisemitism and other forms of prejudice.
CSS started with a handful of congregants protecting their synagogue in New York City. Now the number of volunteers nationwide has topped 6,000, he said, as the number of incidents has escalated.
The volunteers are "everyday people," including doctors, lawyers and accountants, Chuck Berkowitz, the group's head of security, told USA TODAY.
Most can take up to nine classes for their training, which includes an Israeli martial arts and self-defense course.
Volunteers are taught "basic and advanced situational security awareness and to keep their head on a swivel," Berkowitz said. This includes whether they are overseeing their family and friends praying inside a synagogue or publicly protesting outside against what's happening in Gaza.
"They will be the first ones to spot someone they haven't seen before or if something looks out of whack … more likely than a police officer or a security guard would," said Berkowitz, a former U.S. Army Ranger and retired high-ranking New York Police detective who specialized in foreign and domestic terrorism.
Berkowitz noted that Boulder terrorist suspect Mohamed Sabry Soliman told authorities he learned about the demonstration from an online search and planned his attack for a year.
"We know that a majority of the attacks on Jewish people have some surveillance or reconnaissance, so we want our volunteers to be alert and ready," Berkowitz said.
More: Boulder suspect charged with federal hate crime, says he targeted group
Because the pro-Israel demonstrations in downtown Boulder had a small and regular weekly presence, it was surprising that it would come under a terrorist attack, said Kenneth Gray, who spent 24 years with the FBI and now teaches criminal justice at the University of New Haven.
"You know, here in this country, there is a real trade-off between having security and having the freedom to move about," Gray said. "For an event like that, you want to keep it secure, but you don't want to have too many police in the area."
But there is a need to be vigilant, Gray added.
"First and foremost, always be aware of your surroundings," Gray said. "And if you see something unusual, say something to law enforcement without hesitation."
One year later: Anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim hate incidents spike since Oct. 7 attacks
That's easier said than done, though, Priem said, which is why training is necessary.
"We just can't outsource this to others," Priem said. "People are now becoming more aware that we need to add a community-resilient layer that is proactive and do some of the lifting ourselves to be safer."
Priem said Community Security Services expanded after a right-wing extremist shouting hatred against Jewish people shot and killed 11 people at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018.
Then there was a shooting on the last day of Passover at the Chabad of Poway synagogue in Poway, California, in 2019. A targeted attack on a Jewish deli in Jersey City, New Jersey, also in 2019, left six dead, including a police officer and two shooters.
The incidents became "more than just an anomaly" for Priem, who was a counterterrorism adviser to the U.N. Security Council and the New York director for international affairs at the Anti-Defamation League.
Priem points to how CSS volunteers helped prevent an attack when a man was arrested for attempting to gas a D.C. synagogue in December 2023
"We're looking at this from a counterterrorism lens," he said. "We're looking at how they can prevent terrorist attacks and work effectively with law enforcement so that incidents get handled quickly and appropriately."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jewish nonprofit offers free security training to combat antisemitism
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