Welcome to the modern era of tolerance, where one of the standards that has come to be part of the Jewish holiday is the raised security around Jews celebrating their rituals.
It isn’t Christians we worry about.
It isn’t Buddhists who are trying to bomb us.
Yes, it’s the representatives of the Religion of Peace™ who are bent on murdering Jews on our holidays. Why? Because we’re gathered together, so there are more of us in one place, and because a good, new-fashioned holiday bombing makes for page one headlines.
If this post is dripping with acid, it’s because of this:
Concrete terror warnings up
Security authorities dealing with 78 terror warnings, including 16 concrete alerts; three specific terrorism warnings added in past 24 hours; police boost deployment across country, armed guards to be deployed at all synagogues. Hotels in north near capacityHighest terror alert declared: While millions of Israelis will attend the Passover Seder Wednesday evening, thousands of soldiers will be deployed across the country for fear of terror attacks.
Security will be boosted around synagogues as well, with at least one armed guard placed at every synagogue. Police officials also briefed hotel officials and requested that security be boosted for the holiday.
And this:
Security at synagogues to be tightened during Passover
Moscow, April 12, Interfax – The organizations responsible for protecting synagogues in Russian cities will be put on alert during Passover.“This is a regular measure: the regime of protection of synagogues by companies with which we cooperate is always tightened during Jewish holidays,” the press service of the Russian Federation of Jewish Communities (FEOR) told Interfax on Tuesday.
Tightened security measures are needed because the number of worshipers at synagogues always increases during Passover, it said.
People wishing to attend celebrations will have to pass a more careful search, and the record of the recent drama at the synagogue on Bolshaya Bronnaya Street in Moscow will also be taken into consideration, it said.
And this:
April 4, 2006 — The mayor and police commissioner told Jewish leaders yesterday that the city will step up security around synagogues and in Jewish neighborhoods for Passover, which begins next week.
Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said authorities have not picked up any new information that requires a heightened alert, but said the increased vigilance is now customary.
The measures include increased patrols in Jewish communities and around places of worship. Heavily armed units known as “Hercules” also will be deployed near major temples and synagogues, as well as other places for large gatherings.
You know, when I was a child, a police presence was required on the High Holy Days — to direct traffic around the synagogues.
The world has changed, and not for the better.
March 27, 2002 Netanya’s Park Hotel. I will always associate Pasover with that date and horrible event.
Here in Paris security is real tight. On my way to do some shopping for the holiday I passed my local synagogue and lo and behold a French soldier with a machine gun at the gate; I should point out that this synagogue is already well protected in that it is built bunker style, set back a good 20 meters from the street, with a massive gate. But here in Paris there’s no shortage of jihadis so I guess they’re taking no chances- wouldn’t want to ruin France’s reputation as a safe place to be Jewish!
As an New Yorker who’s been here for 7 years I still can’t get used to seeing almost all the Jews putting on their kippas only once past that gate or wearing baseball hats (as if that’ll fool anyone here). Also many synagogues here don’t have any visible signs of being such, a legacy of the terrorist bombings of the 80’s. It won’t be long now before I’m back in the good ole USA!!
Happy Pesach everyone!!