When congregants of Green Road Synagogue in Beachwood gathered for services a week after the mass shooting at Tree of Life Congregation in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood, they might have noticed an increase of security with an armed guard at the shul.

Local law enforcement and security specialists reviewed safety practices, discussed possible threats and outlined emergency notification options during the Jewish Federation of Cleveland’s annual High Holy Days security meeting Aug. 28.

Security for each Jewish federation is a “different animal,” Jim Harnett, director of community-wide security for the Jewish Federation of Cleveland told attendees at the beginning of the four-day Security Director’s Conference and PRT Training.

For years, security has been a factor when planning a local Jewish event because of the rise in anti-Semitic and terror attacks. The High Holy Days are no different.

Jim Hartnett, director of community wide security for the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, could not have predicted how timely a bomb threat management workshop would be when he scheduled it six months ago.

It wasn’t your ordinary day at Jewish Federation of Cleveland headquarters. At 9:47 in the morning April 10, (fake) gunfire went off as an assortment of local and federal law enforcement practiced their response to a hypothetical attack.

Jim Hartnett, director of community-wide security for the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, said attending the first Secure Community Network Mission to Israel was a valuable experience for him.

Security is a top priority in the Jewish community and it has become a growing concern as anti-Semitic and terror attacks take place around the world. To strengthen security within the local community, the Jewish Federation of Cleveland has acquired a mobile patrol unit.

If a man walks into a building wearing improper attire, such as heavy clothing during the summer, that may indicate he should be watched closely.

We are creating a culture of security in Cleveland.