Richard Priem: The ‘age of security’ has ended for US Jews

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with CEO of Community Security Service Richard Priem.

While guarding his Dutch synagogue as a 17-year-old, Priem knew there were two places where Jews wouldn’t experience antisemitism: Israel and the United States. Whereas in Europe, Jews regularly must go through security checks and metal detectors before entering community venues, he was sure the Jewish state and the Goldene Medina were different.

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That “age of security” for US Jewry changed around the time of the Pittsburgh Tree of Life shooting, he said.

This is where his NGO steps in: Founded in 2007, the not-for-profit aims to empower Jewish volunteers and strengthen their communal security toolboxes to prevent attacks and de-escalate situations as they arise.

As Priem, a former paratrooper in the IDF, puts it, who better to preemptively ascertain something is amiss than the community regulars themselves?

In this episode, we hear real-life examples of how CSS volunteers saved lives. Later, Priem lays out a hypothetical plan to secure Borschel-Dan’s upcoming speaking gig in Chicago.

We learn about the need for “digital hygiene” and how a force of thousands of volunteers — and growing — is allowing Jews to be loud and proud again.

And so this week, we ask Richard Priem, what matters now.

What Matters Now podcasts are available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Yitzchak Ledee.

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