22-05-2025
Maryland Jewish community mourns Israeli Embassy staffers as patrols increase
Several Baltimore area police agencies are stepping up their presence in Jewish communities in light of Wednesday's deadly shooting of two Israeli Embassy staffers.
Howard Libit, the executive director of the Baltimore Jewish Council, told WJZ that Wednesday's shooting is an unfortunate reminder of why security is always top of mind for him and his community.
Police take steps to ensure security
Libit described some of the security features of the Jewish Community Center on Park Heights Avenue in Baltimore.
Outside, you can see a row of metal bollards in front of the entrance. Also, the glass in the lobby is bulletproof.
Libit said attacks on the Jewish community are why those safety measures are needed.
"Every synagogue, every Jewish school, every other Jewish institution, every event we have, we have to have armed security," Libit said. "We have to think about that."
Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, two staffers at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., were shot and killed after attending an event at the Capital Jewish Museum.
The event, put on by the American Jewish Committee (AJC), celebrated young Jewish leaders.
As of Thursday morning, in response, Baltimore County Police said it would increase presence and patrols around places of worship, community centers, and other sensitive areas, in Pikesville specifically, given the large Jewish community there.
The Baltimore Police Department and the Howard County Police Department also said they would increase patrols and presence similarly.
The Jewish community's strength
Alan Ronkin, AJC's regional director, said while he didn't know the victims personally, he knew of Milgrim's work in the community.
"She was all about bringing people together, standing up for what she believed in, and was really a precious soul," Ronkin said.
Ronkin said the Jewish community will mourn the victims and continue moving forward.
"We will look forward and we can't allow this evil -- this antisemitism -- to really knock us off our mission and knock us off of living as a thriving community," Ronkin said. "Otherwise, we let them win."
Libit agrees, saying the community has the resilience to do it.
"We are not going to allow hatred or threats of violence to interfere with our efforts to practice our faith," Libit said. "To live our lives in a Jewish way, in a joyous, Jewish way."
