The message below was sent to the congregation on Friday, Feb. 2.
We are writing to share some more information about what has been happening since the synagogue received a disturbing phone call last Thursday, for which the caller was identified and arrested by Attleboro Police. On Monday, the US Attorney’s office took over the case and arraigned him. Rabbi Talya and another congregant attended his federal detention hearing on Wednesday; she and several others in our community provided victim impact statements to the court. Showing a high level of concern for community safety, the judge took the matter under advisement; in the meantime the suspect remains in custody. Throughout this time period, we have received tremendous help and support from the Attleboro Police Department, the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Combined Jewish Philanthropies, and the Rhode Island Jewish Alliance.
As we all work through this difficult time, we want to remind you that our synagogue has developed layers of protection to assure our security. Some of these measures were completed through a grant (NPSG) from the Department of Homeland Security. These target hardening enhancements included new front lobby doors with handicap accessibility, video cameras, and new outdoor lighting. Based on expert advice, we have also amended our Safety and Emergency Guidelines. All of our Board hosts, staff members and greeters have received training in these procedures. We are now able to assess potential threats and know who is approaching and entering our building. Having these systems in place helped us recognize the threat when it came in on Thursday and appropriately respond to it. We have a well-designed, layered system of security measures, and we hope you find that reassuring.
We are confident that with the support of our systems in place as well as local law enforcement that we can proceed with services and events in person as scheduled. It is in this gathering of community that we can all find support and comfort. We know that it may be hard for some of you to feel safe in the synagogue right now, and we fully understand. We want everyone to have an opportunity to talk through what has happened together, and therefore we will hold a listening session over zoom next Wednesday evening, February 7, at 7pm at this link.
We face many challenges right now, including social and cultural stresses ranging from the lingering impact of the Covid pandemic to the war in Israel and Gaza. At this time, it is of utmost importance that we turn to each other more than ever. Our strength is in community. Please care for yourselves and each other, and reach out for help if you need it.
With love,
Rabbi Talya Weisbard Shalem
Molly Jacobs
