Latest news with #Priem
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
'Threat is real': Jewish nonprofit offers free security training to combat antisemitism
Two weeks ago, security expert Richard Priem was in Washington, D.C. Now he's headed to Boulder, Colorado, chasing down the latest incident of violent antisemitism. "I wish we weren't necessary and out of business," said Priem, CEO of Community Security Service, a New York-based nonprofit that offers free professional-level security training for Jewish communities nationwide. But after the second attack on Jewish people in two weeks, he said, his efforts to teach community members to protect themselves are more essential than ever. "Think of it as a force amplifier," said Priem, whose nonprofit is privately funded. "We have to be vigilant. (The June 1) event shows why this is needed." That day in Boulder, Colorado, eight people who had been peacefully marching for the release of Jewish hostages in Gaza were attacked by a Muslim man who said he wanted to kill all supporters of the Jewish state, known as Zionists. He tossed Molotov cocktails and used a flamethrower to injure a dozen people, two of whom remain hospitalized, authorities said. It follows a shooting two weeks ago in the District of Columbia in which two young Jewish advocates were killed by a man claiming he "did it for Palestine." Israelis and Palestinians have been at war since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas, an extremist militant group, stormed an Israeli music festival near the Gaza border, killed 1,200 people in communities there and took 251 hostages with them back into Gaza. The Israeli military responded with an offensive that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians. The last surviving American hostage taken by Hamas was freed May 12. Priem said his organization has worked with about 500 synagogues and provided some form of training to nearly 15,000 people. "More and more Jewish organizations are calling us to work with law enforcement and private security to keep their community safe," Priem said. "People are realizing the threat is real and isn't going away." As antisemitic violence and threats climb across America, Priem said even small groups of demonstrators such as "Run For Their Lives," the Jewish organization that was attacked in Boulder, now need safety training, because police and paid private security can't be everywhere. He is traveling to Boulder to meet with local volunteer teams ahead of an annual Jewish festival June 8 and see if others nearby want his services. He declined to say how many volunteers are in the region, citing safety concerns. Priem believes Community Security Service, or CSS, founded in 2007, was the first U.S. organization to bring a mindset long held by other Jewish communities globally that protecting themselves begins with taking ownership of their security. The nonprofit works closely with local law enforcement and the Anti-Defamation League, a nonprofit that combats antisemitism and other forms of prejudice. CSS started with a handful of congregants protecting their synagogue in New York City. Now the number of volunteers nationwide has topped 6,000, he said, as the number of incidents has escalated. The volunteers are "everyday people," including doctors, lawyers and accountants, Chuck Berkowitz, the group's head of security, told USA TODAY. Most can take up to nine classes for their training, which includes an Israeli martial arts and self-defense course. Volunteers are taught "basic and advanced situational security awareness and to keep their head on a swivel," Berkowitz said. This includes whether they are overseeing their family and friends praying inside a synagogue or publicly protesting outside against what's happening in Gaza. "They will be the first ones to spot someone they haven't seen before or if something looks out of whack … more likely than a police officer or a security guard would," said Berkowitz, a former U.S. Army Ranger and retired high-ranking New York Police detective who specialized in foreign and domestic terrorism. Berkowitz noted that Boulder terrorist suspect Mohamed Sabry Soliman told authorities he learned about the demonstration from an online search and planned his attack for a year. "We know that a majority of the attacks on Jewish people have some surveillance or reconnaissance, so we want our volunteers to be alert and ready," Berkowitz said. More: Boulder suspect charged with federal hate crime, says he targeted group Because the pro-Israel demonstrations in downtown Boulder had a small and regular weekly presence, it was surprising that it would come under a terrorist attack, said Kenneth Gray, who spent 24 years with the FBI and now teaches criminal justice at the University of New Haven. "You know, here in this country, there is a real trade-off between having security and having the freedom to move about," Gray said. "For an event like that, you want to keep it secure, but you don't want to have too many police in the area." But there is a need to be vigilant, Gray added. "First and foremost, always be aware of your surroundings," Gray said. "And if you see something unusual, say something to law enforcement without hesitation." One year later: Anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim hate incidents spike since Oct. 7 attacks That's easier said than done, though, Priem said, which is why training is necessary. "We just can't outsource this to others," Priem said. "People are now becoming more aware that we need to add a community-resilient layer that is proactive and do some of the lifting ourselves to be safer." Priem said Community Security Services expanded after a right-wing extremist shouting hatred against Jewish people shot and killed 11 people at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018. Then there was a shooting on the last day of Passover at the Chabad of Poway synagogue in Poway, California, in 2019. A targeted attack on a Jewish deli in Jersey City, New Jersey, also in 2019, left six dead, including a police officer and two shooters. The incidents became "more than just an anomaly" for Priem, who was a counterterrorism adviser to the U.N. Security Council and the New York director for international affairs at the Anti-Defamation League. Priem points to how CSS volunteers helped prevent an attack when a man was arrested for attempting to gas a D.C. synagogue in December 2023 "We're looking at this from a counterterrorism lens," he said. "We're looking at how they can prevent terrorist attacks and work effectively with law enforcement so that incidents get handled quickly and appropriately." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jewish nonprofit offers free security training to combat antisemitism
USA Today
02-06-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
'Threat is real': Jewish nonprofit offers free security training to combat antisemitism
'Threat is real': Jewish nonprofit offers free security training to combat antisemitism Boulder antisemitism incident drives home need for Jewish groups to protect themselves. 'The threat is real and isn't going away.' Show Caption Hide Caption Suspect in shocking Boulder 'terror attack' identified by authorities Mohamed Sabry Soliman has been identified as the suspect in a shocking Boulder, Colorado terror attack. Two weeks ago, security expert Richard Priem was in Washington, D.C. Now he's headed to Boulder, Colorado, chasing down the latest incident of violent antisemitism. "I wish we weren't necessary and out of business," said Priem, CEO of Community Security Service, a New York-based nonprofit that offers free professional-level security training for Jewish communities nationwide. But after the second attack on Jewish people in two weeks, he said, his efforts to teach community members to protect themselves are more essential than ever. "Think of it as a force amplifier," said Priem, whose nonprofit is privately funded. "We have to be vigilant. (The June 1) event shows why this is needed." That day in Boulder, Colorado, eight people who had been peacefully marching for the release of Jewish hostages in Gaza were attacked by a Muslim man who said he wanted to kill all supporters of the Jewish state, known as Zionists. He tossed Molotov cocktails and used a flamethrow to injure a dozen people, two of whom remain hospitalized, according to authorities. It follows a shooting two weeks ago in D.C. in which a two Jewish advocates were fatally shot by a man claiming he "did it for Palestine." Israelis and Palestinians have been at war since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas, an extremist group, stormed an Israeli music festival, taking 251 hostages with them to nearby Gaza. Israel since has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians. The last surviving American hostage taken by Hamas was freed May 12. Priem said his organization has worked with about 500 synagogues so far and provided some form of training to nearly 15,000 people. "More and more Jewish organizations are calling us to work with law enforcement and private security to keep their community safe," Priem said. "People are realizing the threat is real and isn't going away." Volunteers trained to "deter, detect and respond' As antisemitic violence and threats continue to climb across America, Priem said even small groups of demonstrators like "Run For Their Lives," the Jewish organization that was attacked in Boulder, now need safety training, as police and paid private security can't be everywhere. He is traveling to Boulder to meet with local volunteer teams, ahead of an annual Jewish festival June 8, and see if others nearby want his services. He declined to say how many volunteers are in the region, citing safety concerns. Priem believes CSS, founded in 2007, was the first U.S. organization to bring a mindset long held by other Jewish communities globally that protecting themselves begins with taking ownership of their security. The nonprofit works closely with local law enforcement and the Anti-Defamation League, a nonprofit that combats antisemitism and other forms of prejudice. CSS started with a handful of congregants protecting their New York City synagogue. Now, the number of volunteers nationwide has topped 6,000, he said, as the number of incidents has escalated. The volunteers are "everyday people," including doctors, lawyers, and accountants, Chuck Berkowitz, CSS's head of security, told USA TODAY. Most can take up to nine classes for their training, which includes an Israeli martial art and self-defense course. Volunteers are taught "basic and advanced situational security awareness and to keep their head on a swivel," Berkowitz said. This includes whether they are overseeing their family and friends praying inside a synagogue, or publicly protesting outside against what's happening in Gaza. "They will be the first ones to spot someone they haven't seen before or if something looks out of wack … more likely than a police officer or a security guard would," said Berkowitz, a former U.S. Army Ranger and retired high-ranking New York Police detective who specialized in foreign and domestic terrorism. Berkowitz noted that Boulder terrorist suspect Mohamed Sabry Soliman told authorities he learned about the demonstration from an online search and planned his attack for a year. "We know that a majority of the attacks on Jewish people have some surveillance or reconnaissance, so we want our volunteers to be alert and ready," Berkowitz said. More: Boulder suspect charged with federal hate crime, says he targeted group 'We just can't outsource this to others' Since the pro-Israel demonstrations in downtown Boulder had a small and regular weekly presence, it was a bit surprising that it would come under a terrorist attack, said Kenneth Gray, who spent 24 years with the FBI and now teaches criminal justice at the University of New Haven. "You know, here in this country, there is a real trade-off between having security and having the freedom to move about," Gray said. "For an event like that, you want to keep it secure, but you don't want to have too many police in the area." But there is a need to be vigilant, Gray added. "First and foremost, always be aware of your surroundings," Gray said. "And if you see something unusual, say something to law enforcement without hesitation." One year later: Anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim hate incidents spike since Oct. 7 attacks That's easier said than done, though, Priem said, which is why training is necessary. "We just can't outsource this to others," Priem said. "People are now becoming more aware that we need to add a community resilient layer that is proactive and do some of the lifting ourselves to be safer." Violent acts against American Jews Priem said Community Security Services expanded after a right-wing extremist shouting hatred against Jewish people fatally shot 11 at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 2018. Then there was a shooting on the last day of Passover at the Chabad of Poway synagogue in Poway, California, in 2019. A targeted attack on a Jewish deli in Jersey City, New Jersey, also in 2019, left six dead, including a police officer and two shooters. The incidents became "more than just an anomaly" for Priem, who was previously counterterrorism adviser to the United Nations Security Council and the New York Director for International Affairs at the Anti-Defamation League. Priem points to how Community Security Service volunteers helped prevent an attack when a man was arrested for attempting to gas a D.C. synagogue in December 2023 "We're looking at this from a counterterrorism lens," he said. "We're looking at how they can prevent terrorist attacks and work effectively with law enforcement so that incidents get handled quickly and appropriately."
Business Insider
27-04-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Who is Chris Malachowsky? Meet the Nvidia co-founder and inventor of the GPU
The founding story of the three-plus-trillion-dollar technology juggernaut Nvidia has a humble beginning. The company's three co-founders, Jensen Huang, Curtis Priem, and Chris Malachowsky met at a Silicon Valley area Denny's restaurant to discuss leaving their current roles and forming a new company. At the time, Malachowsky and Priem were both working for Sun Microsystems. Malachowsky had also been employed by Hewlett-Packard, and at both companies he held leading positions as a software and hardware engineer, per his Nvidia bio. But before Malachowsky became one of the most influential engineers in the world of computing, he was on a very different path in life. Education and early career Malachowsky was born in the spring of 1959. By the time he entered college in the late 1970s, he was on track to follow in his father's footsteps and become a doctor, he said in an interview at the University of Southern Florida. In the course of his pre-med studies, Malachowsky came to learn two things: firstly, he did not want to be a doctor, after all. And secondly, he was enthralled by engineering. Malachowsky pivoted, and would receive a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering in 1983, followed by a master's degree in the same field three years later. And within less than a decade, Malachowsky would be there at that Denny's discussing the founding of a company that would become a dominant global player and one of the most valuable companies in the world, alongside Apple and Microsoft. Nvidia career and creation of the GPU When Malachowsky, Huang, and Priem founded Nvidia (Priem left the company in the early 2000s), the men knew they wanted to focus on graphics, then a rapidly developing field of computing. Their primary focus was on developing better and better graphics processing abilities for video games, but the Nvidia team clearly grasped that graphics applications went well beyond the gaming world. In 1999, two big things happened for Nvidia: the company went public, and the company released the world's first GPU, or graphics processing unit. Malachowsky was the chief architect of the GPU, or graphics processing unit. GPUs enable computers to process graphics and images with much greater speed and precision than previous types of processors could handle. They have been instrumental not only in enhancing the gaming experience, but also have applications in 3D technology, AI, virtual and augmented reality, machine learning, and much more. Malachowsky remains at Nvidia as a senior technology executive. Beyond Nvidia We know that Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's net worth is more than $113 billion, putting him in the rarified category of the centibillionaire. While Chris Malachowky's net worth is not publicly known, we do know plenty more. For example, Malachowsky holds around three-dozen patents, according to the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame, including many related to computer graphics and processing. We also know that beyond his two earned degrees, Malachowsky also holds honorary doctorates from the University of Silicon Valley and the University of Florida. His talents also extend beyond the tech world into the arts. He was an executive producer for the Emmy Award-winning documentary Inheritance, about the daughter of a Nazi who commanded a concentration camp during WWII.
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Yahoo
‘Ruined my morning': Green Bay man arrested and facing 10 charges of child porn, bond set at $75,000
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – A man in Green Bay had his cash bond set at $75,000 after being charged with ten counts of possession of child pornography. According to a criminal complaint obtained by Local 5, 35-year-old Matthew Priem is facing 10 counts of possession of child pornography. On February 26, around 5:45 a.m., authorities with the Brown County Sheriff's Office executed a search warrant at Priem's residence. Priem was reportedly seen exiting the residence to his car when authorities approached him. He apparently had 'panic' in his voice and said 'What's going on, what's going on,' when authorities identified themselves. 'Watch & assist in the abuse of children': More charges referred for Wisconsin woman accused of possessing child pornography The complaint says that Priem asked for a lawyer, and authorities started to search his residence. Electronic devices were found in the residence, and the complaint says that child sexual abuse material (CSAM) was located. Additionally, in the search warrant, it reportedly allowed authorities to use Priem's face to unlock his cell phone. The complaint says that he did not cooperate with authorities and argued. Priem allegedly told officers they had ruined his morning and ruined his day. It was mentioned in the complaint that 131 files of CSAM were on Priem's hard drive. Priem is charged with: Possession of Child Pornography Felony Up to 25 years in prison Possession of Child Pornography Felony Up to 25 years in prison Possession of Child Pornography Felony Up to 25 years in prison Possession of Child Pornography Felony Up to 25 years in prison Possession of Child Pornography Felony Up to 25 years in prison Possession of Child Pornography Felony Up to 25 years in prison Possession of Child Pornography Felony Up to 25 years in prison Possession of Child Pornography Felony Up to 25 years in prison Possession of Child Pornography Felony Up to 25 years in prison Possession of Child Pornography Felony Up to 25 years in prison Court records show that Priem was in court on February 27 for his initial appearance. His cash bond was set at $75,000, and he is scheduled to be back in court on March 5 for a preliminary hearing. Police in Wisconsin release footage of fatal shootout with suspect that seriously injured officer No additional information was provided. Local 5 will continue to update this story as the case progresses. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
