Dear Friends,

Yesterday Jews around the world watched in horror the unfolding situation at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas where Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker and three other congregants were held hostage while taking part in Shabbat services. Thankfully, due to the diligent work of law enforcement, the hostages were able to return to their homes safely last night. We join the leaders and institutions of all faiths across our community and the world who have sent prayers, love, and strength to the freed hostages and to the Congregation Beth Israel community and we thank all the law enforcement in Texas who ensured the safe outcome.

Yet, again, the Jewish community finds itself facing the reality that hateful, violent antisemitism is real, and that we cannot worship peacefully in our synagogues without fear for our safety. This is a story that hits all too close to home for all of us. It has been just six months since Rabbi Noginski was stabbed in Brighton. It is critical that we do not become desensitized or that we allow fear to become a part of being Jewish in America. This is a painful reminder that the American Jewish community continues to be the target of antisemitic attacks fueled by extremism.

CJP, JCRC, and ADL work closely with our local, state law enforcement and national partners, including the Secure Community Network (SCN) to ensure the safety and security of our community. In the past 24 hours we have reached out to the 250 partner organizations that we routinely assist with security guidance and will continue to do so in the days ahead.

For information and resources relating to communal safety and security visit the Communal Security Initiative web page. At this time, we are not aware of any specific, credible threats to our Greater Boston Jewish community.

Finally, we invite you to join us for a virtual community briefing: Convening on Texas Incident: What you Need to Know on Tuesday, January 18, at 5:00 p.m. ET. You’ll hear directly from law enforcement and our security professionals about the incident, what we are doing, and what we can all do to keep our community safe.

Thank you for your ongoing partnership and support. Together, we will keep our community vibrant, safe, and strong.

Rabbi Marc Baker, Combined Jewish Philanthropies

Jeremy Burton, Jewish Community Relations Council

Robert Trestan, Anti-Defamation League