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Russian Jews move to bolster security

Updated: 19/Jan/2006 17:24

People wait outside the Bronnaya synagogue following last week's attack

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Russia’s chief rabbi, Berel Lazar, has sent a letter to reassure the country’s Jewish community following last week’s knife attack at a Moscow synagogue and has established a fund to bolster security at Jewish schools and synagogues around the country.

According to the country’s Federation of Jewish Communities, Rabbi Lazar said the community must do "everything possible" to protect itself, and to take measures to ensure the incident would not be repeated.

"First of all," he wrote, "we appeal to you to check up on all mezuzahs and take action to strengthen the protection of Synagogues, schools, kindergartens and other Jewish institutions. I would (also) like to inform you that, in the past few days, I had a series of meetings with Russian law enforcement agencies and discussed with them the possibility of strengthening the state’s role in providing for the safety of the Jewish community."

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Lazar said those conversations included suggestions for round-the-clock patrolling by police of religious and community buildings, in keeping with steps that have already been taken in most Western European countries.

He also said that providing state protection would not only deter extremists, but would also serve as "testimony to the serious commitment of the authorities to not allow for the escalation of national and religious-motivated violence."

Lazar also cited the Talmudic sage Hillel in exhorting the community to take responsibility for its own security: If I am not for myself, who will be for me?, adding that the community has established a fund to provide some basic means of security for Jewish targets, including metal doors, metal detectors, "panic" buttons and cameras for video observation.

"All of this equipment is already installed by communities in Europe, the USA and Israel," he said. "Now it is time to provide them for Jewish buildings in Russia.

This article was first published in Ynetnews.com

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