Security and Sacred Spaces: A Community Conversation

October 30th, 2019, 7:00 pm
Adas Israel Congregation
2850 Quebec Street NW
Washington, DC 20008

Rabbi Aaron Alexander, Gerald Garfinkel and community voices

What do we do when there is a conflict between the need to keep Jewish spaces safe and the need for those spaces to feel sacred, open and welcoming? Ever since the tragic events in Pittsburgh, Jewish communities of all shapes and sizes have been grappling with the need for increased security and the issues that this raises.

In the first of these two sessions, Rabbi Aaron Alexander will discuss the ways in which Jewish law and custom can teach us how to walk this tightrope. In the second session, we’ll ask: What can members of communities across the city tell us about their practical experiences negotiating the delicate balance between sacredness and security?

Rabbi Aaron Alexander is co-senior rabbi at Adas Israel Congregation. Gerald Garfinkel is Treasurer of the Jewish Study Center and security coordinator at the Fabrangen Chavurah.