Latest news with #Preuss
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
‘If they set their mind to it, could cause harm': Heightened security, tensions in DMV after antisemitic attack in Colorado
WASHINGTON () — Security has increased at Jewish buildings around the DMV following Sunday's attack in Boulder, Colo. that targeted Jewish people. 'It's everyone's nightmare,' Gil Preuss, chief executive officer of the Greater Jewish Federation of Washington, said. Capital Jewish Museum reopens week after Israeli Embassy staffers killed He's not surprised by Sunday's incident. 'The level of antisemitism now is so virulent, across the country, and we're seeing it in one attack after another,' Preuss said. Metropolitan Police Department officers set up outside the Capital Jewish Museum. Security has already been tight there following the May 21 . People continue to drop off tributes to the victims. It's a difficult time for many people, especially those who are Jewish. 'I would say as a community right now, we're very suspicious about what's going on,' said David Bloxberg, on vacation from Los Angeles. 'I don't know. I'm not sure what to say. I think it's a dangerous time to be a minority of any type.' Fairfax County police in Virginia and Montgomery County police in Maryland have also increased their presence around Jewish buildings in their communities to reduce anti-Semitic incidents. 'There are hateful, evil people out there who, if they set their mind to it, [they] could cause harm,' Preuss said. Despite the increased security, there are concerns that more attacks against Jewish people could take place. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Local Jewish leaders express resilience, renewed effort to fight anti-Semitism after DC attack
WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — After two Israeli Embassy staffers were gunned down outside a faith-based event in downtown DC Wednesday, local Jewish leaders are sharing messages of grief, resilience and renewed efforts to fight ant-Semitism. Songs and condolences were shared outside the Capital Jewish Museum on Thursday, less than 24 hours after Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim were gunned down on-site. 'We are brokenhearted for them and for their families. We are heartbroken for all Jews in America who don't feel safe in this moment,' said Rabbi Shira Stutman, founding rabbi of Sixth & I Historic Synagogue. 'Death penalty eligible case': Suspect charged in shooting that killed two Israeli Embassy staff members, officials say The grief felt far beyond D.C. has sprouted a new call within and outside the Jewish community to fight antisemitism. Gil Preuss, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, told DC News Now he received a text about the shooting while on the couch with his wife at home, expressing a closeness to the tragedy. 'A young couple at this event focused on bridge building and peace, and then they were brutally murdered… We had a staff meeting today, and people were crying… This was an attack that many of us could be at and were at,' Preuss said. As war continues to grip the Middle East and upend so many lives, the toll is now directly on American soil after last night's killings. 'The level of hatred and anti-Semetics arising out of what may be legitimate disagreements out of what's happening in Israel and Gaza, but it's taken to this level now for people to go out and murder others, is just something we all have to collectively fight against,' Preuss added. The faces of hostages taken by Hamas continue to face outward at the Israeli Embassy in the Van Ness neighborhood–serving as a visual reminder to not forget about their lives, and the anti-Semitism behind the October 7th attack. 'Act of terrorism': DMV, world leaders react to fatal shooting of couple working at Israeli embassy in DC No doubt, security will continue to be the subject of conversation among congregations, as will what can be done to stop the spread of hateful rhetoric, as well as violence. Rabbi Abraham Cooper from the Simon Wiesenthal Center said, 'Whatever your political orientation is and however strong you feel your love for the Holy Land and for the state of Israel. So I view this as a major escalation, and this is beyond the reach of the local police. This is something that has to be dealt with from the top. And I was relieved that the president made a very fast statement.' At the crime scene to observe the vigil Thursday, Rabbi Scott Perlo of Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation said, 'If you're not enraged, you should be, and if you're not brokenhearted, you ought to be. How can we stand here like it's normal? Like this is our world. Don't you want something better? Aren't you willing to fight for it?' US Holocaust Memorial Museum Chairman Stuart E. Eizenstat said, 'Inciteful anti-Semitic rhetoric is a growing and increasingly deadly danger to Jews and societies worldwide. It must be forcibly and universally condemned.' Cooper pleaded, 'We need our neighbors. We need our elected officials. We need the media to wake up and to sort of bring not only the issue of anti-Semitism, but anything to do with hate crimes. We have to go back to bipartisanship. Not everything should be a political football.' The Capital Jewish Museum said it plans to reopen in the coming days with the 'necessary security' in place. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Something horrific like this was eventually going to happen': DC's Jewish community reels from Israeli Embassy staffers' killings
Washington's Jewish cultural and religious centers are emphasizing the need for security following the killing of two Israeli Embassy staffers — but say they will not be cowed by acts of violence. The killing of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, who were shot dead outside of the Capital Jewish Museum after an event at the venue on Wednesday night, sent shock waves through Jewish communities around the world. But mixed in with the shock of Wednesday night's tragedy was also a sense of inevitability, Jewish Federation of Greater Washington CEO Gil Preuss said. 'Part of this is like people knew that something horrific like this was eventually going to happen' after other instances of antisemitic violence in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and California in recent years, Preuss said. Wednesday's shooting follows other recent attacks that have been condemned as antisemitic violence, including the residence of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, being set ablaze last month. But for the Jewish community in Washington, Wednesday's killings hit closer to home. The attack was deeply personal to the local community, Preuss said, as the young couple was involved in numerous D.C.-wide activities. Milgrim, in particular, was heavily embedded in D.C. life, after graduating with a masters in international affairs from American University in 2023. Community members are reeling from the loss of their friends and contending with the 'disbelief that something like this happened in our own community, and to people who we know,' Preuss said. He added that sometimes he feels people 'don't take seriously' safety concerns raised by the Jewish community, despite the pattern of antisemitic attacks. Concerns about the rise of rhetoric like 'globalized intifada,' Preuss said, are often brushed off as 'just language.' 'But what we saw last night was an enactment of globalized intifada, of people attacking the Jewish community — people who were leaving an event that was about bridge-building and peace and how do we solve problems in the Middle East,' he said, noting that the museum hosting the event is also currently showing an exhibit spotlighting the local LGBTQ+ community in D.C. The shooting comes amid heightened tensions following the Hamas terror attack on Israel in October 2023. Backlash has grown in the U.S. and globally against Israel's intensifying military campaign in Gaza, and many Jewish advocacy organizations simultaneously warn of rising antisemitism. Elias Rodriguez, who was 'tentatively' identified by law enforcement as the suspect, chanted 'free, free Palestine,' while in custody, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela A. Smith said during a press briefing Wednesday. Preuss said D.C. officials "dramatically increased security" around the city's Jewish organizations Thursday morning, and called for increased vigilance, though he noted that upping security practices "doesn't guarantee that it won't happen." "We do need to look at physical security and how to put all the precautions in place to make sure that someone who's thinking about committing a horrendous act thinks twice," he said. "The second thing is training of people to keep their eyes out to be aware of a suspicious person, to report things, to know what to do and how to react." The D.C. Metropolitan Police Department did not respond to a request for comment on if there are broader plans to bolster security for Jewish institutions in the city. There have been other high-profile attacks on American Jews. Just last month, a suspect set the official residence for Shapiro, the Pennsylvania governor and one of the most prominent Jewish American politicians, ablaze while he and his family were inside. The suspect said Shapiro 'needs to know that he 'will not take part in his plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people.'' The Washington Hebrew Congregation, a hub of Jewish spiritual life in the capital, said in a statement that Wednesday's shooting was 'a tragic reminder of the importance of consistently reassessing the security policies and protocols we have in place and evaluating whether there are changes we can make to enhance our security posture.' The congregation, which said it had just created a director of safety and security position last year in response to rising reports of antisemitism nationwide, also noted that 'the threats we face today are the same threats we faced yesterday before last night's horrific shooting and the same threats we will continue to face into the future.' Ron Halber, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, called the shooting a 'senseless act of political violence' on Fox News Thursday morning. 'It was clearly a shooting simply because they were Jewish and because they were Israeli,' Halber said, adding that despite the violence, the Jewish community 'cannot and will not and doesn't want to put themselves in a sealed bubble,' but will instead 'continue to live proud, strong Jewish lives openly and publicly.' But that determination is not without the need for heightened security protections. 'What is needed right now is for the federal government to step up and to not haggle and pass a large bill providing billions of dollars to institutions that are at threat,' to increase security hiring and widen protections around Jewish cultural and religious centers, Halber said.
Politico
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Politico
‘Something horrific like this was eventually going to happen': DC's Jewish community reels from Israeli Embassy staffers' killings
Washington's Jewish cultural and religious centers are emphasizing the need for security following the killing of two Israeli Embassy staffers — but say they will not be cowed by acts of violence. The killing of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, who were shot dead outside of the Capital Jewish Museum after an event at the venue on Wednesday night, sent shock waves through Jewish communities around the world. But mixed in with the shock of Wednesday night's tragedy was also a sense of inevitability, Jewish Federation of Greater Washington CEO Gil Preuss said. 'Part of this is like people knew that something horrific like this was eventually going to happen' after other instances of antisemitic violence in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and California in recent years, Preuss said. Wednesday's shooting follows other recent attacks that have been condemned as antisemitic violence, including the residence of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, being set ablaze last month. But for the Jewish community in Washington, Wednesday's killings hit closer to home. The attack was deeply personal to the local community, Preuss said, as the young couple was involved in numerous D.C.-wide activities. Milgrim, in particular, was heavily embedded in D.C. life, after graduating with a masters in international affairs from American University in 2023. Community members are reeling from the loss of their friends and contending with the 'disbelief that something like this happened in our own community, and to people who we know,' Preuss said. He added that sometimes he feels people 'don't take seriously' safety concerns raised by the Jewish community, despite the pattern of antisemitic attacks. Concerns about the rise of rhetoric like 'globalized intifada,' Preuss said, are often brushed off as 'just language.' 'But what we saw last night was an enactment of globalized intifada, of people attacking the Jewish community — people who were leaving an event that was about bridge-building and peace and how do we solve problems in the Middle East,' he said, noting that the museum hosting the event is also currently showing an exhibit spotlighting the local LGBTQ+ community in D.C. The shooting comes amid heightened tensions following the Hamas terror attack on Israel in October 2023. Backlash has grown in the U.S. and globally against Israel's intensifying military campaign in Gaza, and many Jewish advocacy organizations simultaneously warn of rising antisemitism. Elias Rodriguez, who was 'tentatively' identified by law enforcement as the suspect, chanted 'free, free Palestine,' while in custody, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela A. Smith said during a press briefing Wednesday. Preuss said D.C. officials 'dramatically increased security' around the city's Jewish organizations Thursday morning, and called for increased vigilance, though he noted that upping security practices 'doesn't guarantee that it won't happen.' 'We do need to look at physical security and how to put all the precautions in place to make sure that someone who's thinking about committing a horrendous act thinks twice,' he said. 'The second thing is training of people to keep their eyes out to be aware of a suspicious person, to report things, to know what to do and how to react.' The D.C. Metropolitan Police Department did not respond to a request for comment on if there are broader plans to bolster security for Jewish institutions in the city. There have been other high-profile attacks on American Jews. Just last month, a suspect set the official residence for Shapiro, the Pennsylvania governor and one of the most prominent Jewish American politicians, ablaze while he and his family were inside. The suspect said Shapiro 'needs to know that he 'will not take part in his plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people.'' The Washington Hebrew Congregation, a hub of Jewish spiritual life in the capital, said in a statement that Wednesday's shooting was 'a tragic reminder of the importance of consistently reassessing the security policies and protocols we have in place and evaluating whether there are changes we can make to enhance our security posture.' The congregation, which said it had just created a director of safety and security position last year in response to rising reports of antisemitism nationwide, also noted that 'the threats we face today are the same threats we faced yesterday before last night's horrific shooting and the same threats we will continue to face into the future.' Ron Halber, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, called the shooting a 'senseless act of political violence' on Fox News Thursday morning. 'It was clearly a shooting simply because they were Jewish and because they were Israeli,' Halber said, adding that despite the violence, the Jewish community 'cannot and will not and doesn't want to put themselves in a sealed bubble,' but will instead 'continue to live proud, strong Jewish lives openly and publicly.' But that determination is not without the need for heightened security protections. 'What is needed right now is for the federal government to step up and to not haggle and pass a large bill providing billions of dollars to institutions that are at threat,' to increase security hiring and widen protections around Jewish cultural and religious centers, Halber said.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
‘Miracle Man' thanks first responders who saved his life after a heart attack
VIRGINIA BEACH — Tears flowed and tissues were passed around as David Preuss thanked the men and women who saved his life. A half dozen paramedics, dispatchers and first responders stood in line to meet Preuss and his family, each getting a big hug from him. Thursday was the first time they have met since his cardiac arrest more than a year ago. 'This is a very healing process for us, finally seeing everybody,' Preuss, 61, said of the meeting at Virginia Beach's emergency services headquarters. On the morning of October 21, 2023, Preuss, a Virginia Beach resident, had a sudden heart attack in his home. His wife Lisa and his son Tyler immediately called 911, and staff at the Emergency Communications center guided her through chest compressions. Within just six minutes of her call, first responders were at the Preuss residence. After the EMTs arrived, they quickly worked to save Preuss. He said paramedics used defibrillators on his chest eight times and administered epinephrine, or adrenaline, five times to help revive him. The first responders introduced a LUCAS machine, a mechanical chest compression device, into the mix, as well. During cardiac arrests, time is of the essence. CPR helps keep the heart pumping and oxygen moving through the body. Within minutes of no oxygen, there is a risk for brain damage. Once the brain is damaged, prognosis can quickly become grim. Resuscitation efforts were continued for more than half an hour before Preuss's pulse was back. Lisa Preuss, through tears, said she and her family have thought of those first responders, doctors and nurses every day and prayed for their safety. David Preuss said the time with his family since that day has been 'a road I never thought I'd travel again.' Lisa Preuss becomes emotional as her husband, David, shares the story of the day he went into cardiac arrest at his home in 2023 at Virginia Beach Department of Emergency Medical Services headquarters on Thursday, March 27, 2025. The Preuss family wanted to personally thank the team of first responders who helped save David's life. (Kendall Warner / The Virginian-Pilot) Donna Lynn, a volunteer EMT with VB Rescue, shows the heart pin on her identification badge at Virginia Beach Department of Emergency Medical Services headquarters on Thursday, March 27, 2025. Lynn was part of the team credited with saving David Preuss' life when he went into cardiac arrest in 2023 and it was the call where she earned her heart pin for the life-saving measures she performed. (Kendall Warner / The Virginian-Pilot) Donna Lynn, a volunteer EMT with VB Rescue, smiles as David Preuss tells his story and extends a heartfelt thank you to the first responders who helped save his life at Virginia Beach Department of Emergency Medical Services headquarters on Thursday, March 27, 2025. Lynn was part of the team credited with saving Preuss' life when he went into cardiac arrest in 2023. (Kendall Warner / The Virginian-Pilot) David Preuss looks on as the first responders credited with saving his life enter the room at Virginia Beach Department of Emergency Medical Services headquarters on Thursday, March 27, 2025. Preuss went into cardiac arrest in 2023, entered into multiple organ failure and was placed into a medically-induced coma but has since made a full recovery. (Kendall Warner / The Virginian-Pilot) Lisa Preuss embraces Mathew Grant at Virginia Beach Department of Emergency Medical Services headquarters on Thursday, March 27, 2025. Grant was a 9-1-1 dispatcher at the time Preuss' husband, David, went into cardiac arrest in 2023. Grant walked Lisa and her son, Tyler, through performing CPR on David and kept her on track by counting the compressions. After going into multiple organ failure and being put into a medically-induced coma, David made a full recovery. (Kendall Warner / The Virginian-Pilot) Lisa Preuss blows a thank-you kiss to Mathew Grant at Virginia Beach Department of Emergency Medical Services headquarters on Thursday, March 27, 2025. Grant was a 9-1-1 dispatcher at the time Preuss' husband, David, went into cardiac arrest in 2023. Grant walked Lisa and her son, Tyler, through performing CPR on David and kept her on track by counting the compressions. After going into multiple organ failure and being put into a medically-induced coma, David made a full recovery. (Kendall Warner / The Virginian-Pilot) Lisa Henderson, friend and coworker of David Preuss, becomes emotional as he shares his story to the first responders who helped save his life at Virginia Beach Department of Emergency Medical Services headquarters on Thursday, March 27, 2025. (Kendall Warner / The Virginian-Pilot) David Preuss' son Tyler looks at his dad as he shares his story and extends a heart-felt thank you to the first responders who helped save his life at Virginia Beach Department of Emergency Medical Services headquarters on Thursday, March 27, 2025. (Kendall Warner / The Virginian-Pilot) Lisa Preuss holds hands with Donna Lynn, a volunteer EMT with VB Rescue, at Virginia Beach Department of Emergency Medical Services headquarters on Thursday, March 27, 2025. Lynn was part of the team credited with saving her husband, David Preuss', life when he went into cardiac arrest in 2023. (Kendall Warner / The Virginian-Pilot) David Preuss stands with his wife, Lisa, and son, Tyler, as he shares his story and extends a thank you to the first responders who helped save his life at Virginia Beach Department of Emergency Medical Services headquarters on Thursday, March 27, 2025. Preuss went into cardiac arrest in 2023, entered into multiple organ failure and was placed into a medically-induced coma but has since made a full recovery. (Kendall Warner / The Virginian-Pilot) Show Caption1 of 11David Preuss shakes hands with Daniel Meller, a captain with Virginia Beach Fire Department engine five, at Virginia Beach Department of Emergency Medical Services headquarters on Thursday, March 27, 2025. Meller was part of the team credited with saving Preuss' life when he went into cardiac arrest in 2023. (Kendall Warner / The Virginian-Pilot)Expand 'While I lay unconscious, (first responders) showed compassion to my family,' David Preuss said. '(Their) dedication to the profession isn't just a job. It's a gift that ripples through families and communities. Every shift, every call, every patient matters.' While at Sentara Princess Anne Hospital, his lungs collapsed, one of his kidneys began to fail. His blood had gone septic, so the ICU placed him under a medically induced hypothermia, or a coma, for two days. 'My body seemed determined to give up,' David Preuss said. But the staff would not let that happen, he said. During his stay, they called him 'The Miracle Man,' and David Preuss said he is thankful to each person that became part of his healing journey. Donna Lynn, a volunteer EMT with Virginia Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad, received a heart pin for her role in performing life-saving CPR. 'When (first responders) arrived, I wasn't exactly present, but every breath I take now, every moment I share with my family — that shouldn't exist,' David Preuss said. 'It all came from (their) ability to make all the right decisions that morning. But what I want (responders) to know is that their impact extends far beyond just saving my life or not. (They) saved a family, a son from losing a father, a wife from losing her husband… They didn't just save a patient, they saved a family.' Eliza Noe,
