One of the things I keep seeing or hearing from other Rabbis and Synagogues is how they have had security for High Holidays services for years, some at least since 9/11.
Great, except…
The 1999 Lost Angeles Jewish Community Shooting happened on a Tuesday, August 10th, at 10:50 am.
The 2006 Seattle Jewish Federation Shooting happened Friday, July 28th, at 4:00 pm.
The 2009 Holocaust Memorial Museum Shooting happened Wednesday, June 10th, at 12:50 pm.
The 2014 Overland Park JCC shooting happened Sunday, April 13th, at 1:00 pm.
The Tree of Life shooting happened on Saturday, October 27, at 9:54 am.
None of these shootings happened during High Holidays or even during a Friday evening Sabbath service (most of the Jews I know who do Friday night Sabbath services, don’t do the Saturday morning service too, it’s usually the very observant or those doing a special service like a Bris or Bar/Bat Mitzvah).
The point being, every shooting of a Jewish group I am aware of (I include the Holocaust Museum shooter was a Neo-Nazi who wanted to kill Jews) didn’t happen when (except for the Holocaust Museum) there was security on duty.
It makes logical sense that if you plan on killing people in a mass shooting, you avoid doing it when the cops are stationed at the location.
Of course budgets being what they are, providing police for security for a Sabbath service of 10 people every week is lower priority than the annual Passover Seder of 50 or more.
What that means in practicality is that the regular Sabbath service is more likely to be targeted than the annual Seder.
The point being, history shows us that these attacks happen when people lest expect them.
That means the congregants need to be more vigilant during these times because the cops aren’t there.
Congregants need to arm themselves.
Violence does not erupt on schedule, and criminals do not make appointments in advance. An attack is a “come as you are” party and you will have to defend with whatever is at hand.