After Pittsburgh attack, course offers gun
training against shooters in synagogues
By Catherine Bennett. November 5th, 2018
Hundreds of Jewish people in the United States have rushed to undertake training to learn how to shoot, after an attack on a synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on October 27 that killed 11 people. A private company offering "Israeli tactical shooting techniques" has been inundated with hundreds of requests in the days following the shooting and has offered training in how to respond to an active shooter in a synagogue. However, other parts of the Jewish community think that guns should not be brought into places of worship.
"There is no question that Jews are under threat in America. Would you say to soldiers on the front line, 'just lay down your guns and let the enemy kill you?' No. So Jews need to be armed," said Yonatan Stern, the founder of Cherev Gidon Israeli Tactical Training Academy, which offers classes in Pennsylvania and Arizona. Stern, a former officer of the Israel Defense Forces, created the academy six years ago, predicting, he says, that there would be attacks on the Jewish community in the United States.
The shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh was the deadliest attack on Jews in America's history. Stern says that his organisation has received more requests for training from Jews in the days since the attack than in the entire time the academy has been running.
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There is little doubt that the awful events of October 27 must have been, to some degree at least, a major wake-up call when it comes to protecting places of worship. There will still be those on the left who will decry any mention of people being armed but the truth of the matter is plain because "when seconds count" is undeniable when it comes to a chance for survival. It's to be hoped this can be a growing trend.
