There is so much more we can and must do. The World Jewish Congress Global Jewish Security Project is a long-term initiative that we hope will grow and expand to be able to offer life-saving support to Jewish
By the time you hear the thunder, it’s too late to build the ark.
communities in need, large and small, on every continent. It will require a dedicated partnership with committed donors who understand the very real dangers facing the Jewish people and the critical need to take tangible, pro-active steps to mitigate the threats and alleviate the panic, shock, grief and anguish that are the human by-products of terror. Why the World Jewish Congress? Our unrivaled and incomparable partnership with Jewish communities and organizations in more than 100 countries across six continents, coupled with our longstanding and extensive diplomatic relationships, make WJC the natural and logical choice to undertake this critically important initiative.
worldjewishcongress.org For further information please contact: Melina Rozenbaum Phone: 212-755-5770 Ext. 206 Email: security@wjcmail.org
WORLD JEWISH CONGRESS
Global Jewish Security Project
Buenos Aires. Toulouse. Brussels. Paris. Copenhagen. Burgas. Istanbul.
ADVOCATING
with senior government officials to urge increased funding JEWISH COMMUNITIES AROUND THE WORLD are facing an expo-
We asked ourselves: How would “at-risk” Jewish communities
nential increase in the age-old hatred of anti-Semitism, ranging
around the world answer these questions?
from verbal abuse and intimidation to desecration of cemeteries, synagogues, schools and other institutions; and from physical street violence to large-scale, cold-blooded terrorist attacks. Hundreds of Jewish communities across Europe, Latin America, Eurasia and sub-Saharan Africa face an ever-increasing risk for deadly acts of hatred and terror from extreme right, neo-Nazi, extreme left, anti-Israel and radical Islamic groups and individuals. Most of these communities are woefully ill-equipped to pro-
between government, intelligence and police agencies? Is the infrastructure of Jewish communal buildings adequately protected and reinforced?
PARTNERING
to the special dangers facing Jewish communities and to call
Meetings with senior government officials and police in Albania,
Brazil, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyz-
for greater information sharing and cooperation.
stan, Lithuania, Macedonia, Paraguay, Poland, Spain and the
emergency as it occurs in real time?
community organize, respond and cope during and after
aftermath. While Israeli security is undertaken solely by the Israeli
an attack?
government, vulnerable communities, lacking the necessary ex… And then we knew what we had to do.
real and lasting difference around the world.
with local intelligence and police forces to sensitize them
Are integrated procedures in place to alert the community to an
with the physical and emotional trauma during a crisis and in its
chaos they may one day have to face.
FOCUSING INITIALLY ON JEWISH COMMUNITIES identified to be WJC’s Global Jewish Security Project has already begun making a
Has a crisis management plan been created to help the
to identify the risks, diminish the tangible dangers and avert the
and enhanced protection for Jewish institutions at risk.
seriously at-risk and where communal preparedness is lacking,
Is there effective cooperation and information sharing
tect themselves against an attack and wholly unprepared to cope
pertise or means, appealed to the World Jewish Congress for help
REINFORCING
the defensive infrastructure of Jewish communal
buildings to prevent, or better withstand, attacks.
Sadly, the issue is not “if” another attack against a Jewish target
Jewish Security Project, staffed by an international team of ex-
will take place, but when, where and how.
perts, to assess the threat to individual Jewish communities, enhance the physical infrastructure of communal institutions, and train corps of local volunteers to organize and respond effectively to a myriad of crises. WJC’s Global Jewish Security Project and Security and Crisis Centre (SACC World) undertake these goals through integrated and coordinated activities:
Infrastructure security audits of Jewish communal buildings in, among other cities, Athens, Barcelona, Belgrade, Mumbai, Nairobi, Sofia, Tbilisi, Thessaloniki and communities of the former
PROVIDING
community security volunteers with bulletproof vests
to protect against high-caliber handguns.
In October 2015, following a renewed global outbreak of violent anti-Semitism, the World Jewish Congress established its Global
European Union.
TRAINING IN CRISIS MANAGEMENT
for volunteer leaders to implement guidelines and best practices to (a) prevent and prepare for a crisis, (b) respond to or minimize a crisis and (c) help the community return to normal life following a crisis.
CREATING
an emergency notification app to send, in real time, an urgent warning signal via cell phone to all registered users, reporting a threat or the location and nature of an attack
and allowing for immediate response.
Soviet Union. Hundreds of bulletproof vests distributed to community security volunteers across Europe and Latin America. Communities trained in crisis management, including in Athens, Bratislava, Bucharest, Budapest, Dublin, Gothenburg, Hamburg, Kosice, Luxemburg, Mumbai, Prague and Thessaloniki.