Police Boost Security Nationwide: More police officers are watching over Jewish schools and places of worship worldwide, from the sunny streets of San Jose, California, to the busy roads of New York City. A scary statement from a Hamas commander calling Friday “the Day of Jihad” and urging members to show their anger in public has made people more alert.
Three schools on the Peninsula shut down on Friday, according to the J. Weekly. The Israel National News says that at least two Jewish schools in New York also did the same. Stanford University is usually where people work on their ideas. Still, they gave in to public pressure on Friday and moved all their classes online through Zoom.
Some groups, like the Russian-speaking Jewish Community of San Francisco, are adamant about continuing to work even though there is a lot of doubt. Rabbi Shimon Margolin hired off-duty police officers to increase security because he knew how critical the situation was. This showed a solid commitment to staying alert in the face of uncertainty.
“We refuse to live in fear any longer,” Rabbi Margolin says, expressing a shared will to stand up to fear.
During this time, the Jewish Community Relations Council held protests nationwide, mainly in San Francisco. The theme of these protests was “Bring Them Home.” The Israeli government will be put under a lot of pressure to free 150 Israelis whom Hamas terrorists took hostage.
The JCRC said that the Civic Center event would have more protection because of possible threats. Even though there aren’t any significant threats, the police in San Francisco are on high alert. They are watching over places of worship and neighbourhood groups.
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People are generally worried because of what top Hamas official Ali Baraka said in an interview with Russia Today TV. Baraka talked about a well-planned attack on Israel. Khaled Meshaal, who used to be the leader of Hamas, makes things worse by asking for protests to support the Palestinian people and a single front against Israel.
These scary comments, which FBI Director Christopher A. Wray confirmed, led to a request for more security at Jewish organizations. The state’s Homeland Security expert has said California has no real threats. Still, there is a general call to be aware.
Even though there are dark clouds of uncertainty, Rabbi Margolin is determined to keep the Sabbath according to customs that haven’t changed. To keep fighting darkness with the bright power of light, bread will be given out, candles will be blessed, and more prayers will be said on Friday night as the sun goes down.