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For Every Black Frock a Glock: Time to Arm the Rebbe’s Army

by Dovid Efune – Algemeiner

On the 26th of November 2008 the world recoiled in horror as the infamous Mumbai terror attacks unfolded. Three days later, unthinkable death and devastation remained. For the Jewish community the brutal murder of Chabad emissaries Gabi and Rivka Holtzberg highlighted the vulnerability of many that stand at the forefront of community work in remote corners of the globe.

Now, over the past few weeks, it has emerged that two other Chabad centers had been identified as targets in thwarted terror attacks.

On January 13th, Thai authorities announced that they had arrested a Lebanese Citizen on suspicion of planning a terror attack in Bangkok. The New York Times reported that “Western intelligence agencies know that Hezbollah operatives have scouted El Al offices and counters in Thailand, as well as the Chabad House in Bangkok.” Security analysis blog Debkafile went a step further claiming that “It was to have followed the same lines as al Qaeda’s 2008 assault on the Mumbai Chabad center which killed 8 Israelis and Jews – only more ambitious.”

On Monday, Haaretz reported that in Baku, Azerbaijan, “The Azeri ministry said it had arrested a cell that planned to “kill public activists,”……..it became apparent that the intended victims were two Israeli Chabad emissaries, a rabbi and a teacher employed by the “Chabad Or Avner” Jewish school in Baku.”

Israeli Interior minister Eli Yishai was right when he explained to Israeli security chiefs that “Chabad Houses in many countries are “the soft underbelly” of attacks because of the high volume of Israeli tourists and backpackers.” Additionally, Chabad houses and rabbis are highly visible and symbolic targets for would be terror planners.

It is admirable and a source of great inspiration that the ‘Rebbe’s Army’ is by no means deterred by the inherent daily risks that they are undertaking for themselves and their families, standing at the forefront of Jewish communal activity wherever Jewish life is to be found. But what can be done to minimize the risk that many Chabad rabbis face?

Public displays of Jewish pride are an integral component of the Chabad modus operandi, precluding the possibility of lowering the profile of their activities. Whatever the risks, you won’t find a Chabad center buried within a building complex – like a Synagogue I visited in The Hague, Holland a few years back – that wouldn’t display so much as a small Star of David to mark its presence.

Of course investing in the hiring of security services and personnel is an option, but the expenses can become quite significant. The most effective security setup that I have seen, is in the South African Jewish community which established the Community Active Patrol (CAP) in 2006, an organization that in effect serves as a private Jewish army. Ex military personnel armed to the teeth, and dressed from head to toe in black, patrol communal areas in imposing vehicles, investigating any suspicious activity. Their budget in 2011 was over 4 million rand, about half a million U.S. dollars. Rabbi Wilhelm of Bangkok told Mishpacha magazine that “We have security 24 hours a day – at our expense, and at the cost of between 60 and 80 thousand dollars a year.” Unfortunately, for many Chabad houses that are struggling to pay their bills for basic necessities like rent and electricity, the cost may be prohibitive.

A far cheaper and very effective strategy would be for the various Chabad emissary support groups to encourage the purchase of personal firearms for each rabbi and facilitate their weapons proficiency training. As recorded in Chabad literature they would be following in the footsteps of the previous Chabad Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Y. Schneersohn, who, when informed of a threat from ‘gangsters’ that intended to attack him, made sure to carry a pistol. Perhaps an appropriate next project for the billionaire patron of the ‘shluchim’ Gennady Bogolubov would be to establish a ‘gun fund.’

Of course, this would only apply in countries where gun ownership is legal. According to gunpolicy.org this includes Thailand, India and Azerbaijan under the following terms, “Applicants for a gun owner’s license are required to prove genuine reason to possess a firearm, for example, hunting, sports shooting, collection, and self-defense.”

Additionally, if a Chabad gun policy were to be established and widely publicized, it would serve as an effective deterrent to would be attackers, who would likely rather seek the path of least resistance.

After all, wouldn’t one expect ’the men in black’ to be strapped.

The Author is the director of the Algemeiner Journal and the GJCF and can be e-mailed at defune@gjcf.com.

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36 Comments

  • CH gun owner

    I think everyone (and shliach) should get a gun and training, but it may be better NOT to publicize it.
    If the criminals know you are armed, you loose the element of surprise.
    Thats why states (not like NY) that allow citizens to have firearms and carry them, have less crime. Afterall, who would you mug; a weaponless person ar someone who may be armed??

  • Go for it!

    I think every Jew should own at least a .22, but would owning a pistol deter terrorist activity? Maybe a small time burglar is afraid of that, but trained militants.
    It would still be an advantage to have one than not at all, but it seems there is more needed, like the private army idea.

  • Esther

    My mother has been saying this for years. Shkoyach to the author for putting it out there.

  • flawed tactic

    how would a pistol or two help them in Mumbai, against a group of trained mercenaries armed with automatic weapons etc.? It might help only to defend against a group of unarmed hooligans on the street, but is useless in scenarios like Mumbai, Thailand, and Azerbaijan.

    For that, you’ll need what they have in South Africa: Community Active Patrol, an organization that in effect serves as a private Jewish army. Ex military personnel armed to the teeth, and dressed from head to toe in black, patrol communal areas in imposing vehicles, investigating any suspicious activity.

  • Yosy A.

    Sound nice in theory, but in practice, it’s easier said than done. An armed (and perhaps out of shape/overweight) shliach is no match against a trained hezbollah, ym“sh, or any other terrorist for that matter. Especially if, R”L, they are on a suicide mission. A better endeavor would be to fortify Chabad houses worldwide and to hire Israeli security guards to protect them & the shluchim.

  • Alex

    To people who say that a pistol will not help to defend against guys with AK47. I say you wrong, yes the guy with a pistol will be out-gunned, however it gives him a fighting chance to defend himself. The person in his own house always has advantage in defence. Thus a person with a pistol and/or a 12Ga shotgun can cover a doorway or a corridor and slow down the attack until police or other help arrives.

  • Ash_Man

    I think it’s a great opportunity to bring a community together. Could even combine it with learning laws of pekuach nefesh, etc, and make a decent program out of it.

  • Armed Shliach

    To 4 and 5 you are obviously not trained or knowledgeable in the art of weaponry or self-defense. Of course in a fire fight you would much rather come with a M-4 carbine, shotgun or some other heavy machinery. But please, make no mistake, even a small caliber handgun in the hands of a trained individual is 100 percent deadly and will increase your survival rate greatly as opposed to being unarmed. It makes no difference if your overweight or out of shape ( nice broad brushing all us shluchim on that by the way) it’s all in training, practice and more practice. Shooting is a perishable skill and if you’re a gun owner you need to be on the range on a regular basis.
    After Mumbai, I took basic handgun training and am the proud owner of several guns. I have a handgun in reach during services and the only baal habatim who know about it are security professionals (ex-cops and Israeli security experts) who are always armed themselves. It is a tremendous hachrayus but one I feel is a unfortunate necessity in today’s climate.

    Of course we must always remember that the ultimate protector is Hakodosh Boruch Hu who neither slumbers nor sleeps as he protects us. Mezuzos and Teffilin must be checked regularly as well as the other precautions our Rebbe has advised us. Gun ownership is not a contradiction as Hashem blesses the keilim we create.

  • yossele

    This is relevent to Jewish communities in general.

    Any Jew willing to be responsible and properly trained should own a firearm.

  • shlomo as always with bad English

    in occupated territory like NYC you can get 6 month in jail only for peperspray, and 1,5 years for stungun(electroshocker) and you speak about real gun????

  • Charlie

    To fight off theorist you would have to start training future rabbi as the future soldier at about the same time. The age of 3 would be perfect. To kill a person, even when you know that this person came to kill you is not that simple, you have to be in the prepared state of mind. Look at the kids coming back from Afghanistan and Iraq today. Most of them are suffering terrible trauma specifically because they had to kill another human being.
    I think at the very list all the yeshivas should provide military training classes along with Gemorah, at least couple hours a day. If nothing else it will make our boys healthier and stronger and G-d willing they will need/use their strength only to fight for Jewish souls, and not G-d forbid for their lives.
    In the meantime chabad houses should be very careful who they let to come. Even here in the States.

  • Zaidy

    First get your Chabad House secure by checking that all the Rebbe’s horoas are being mekuyom. Then – if you can’t even keep tabs on your gartel, get a good security company to do the job.

  • DeClasse- Intellectual

    The NRA and Fronsight.com in nevada have extensive and intensive on grounds trainning for those who want to use a gun. It covers not only the laws of each state and so forth, but how to react in numerous given situations, and also the non-gun alternatives if possible. With this trainning it is easier to obtain concealed carry permits. One part of the course is to train you to react poroperly and not let all the psychological emotions slow you down because the other person will not care whom he harms or kills. Never inform the outside world that you have a gun, but just the mere possiblity that you might is another safe step and given this world of today more and more people are obtainning guns and that makes the unknown possiblity more of a reality. Yes, those representatives and their adult family members should be trainned, armed and be knowldgable of what to do in a situation.

  • Security Guy

    There are more appropriate Jewish community security groups across the world who can provide training, advice and physical security from well trained and law abiding volunteers versus placing another responsibility on the shoulders of a shliach. They should definitely be trained and equipped, but security is a lot more than packing heat.

    Check out http://www.thecss.org. Similar organizations are across the globe.

  • Harry S. in LA

    Post 8 ‘armed shliach’

    As a gun owner & NRA member, I think you’re delusional. You took the step of buying the gun, getting trained and you claim you go shooting on a regular basis. Good for you! Most shluchim won’t have the luxury of being able to do so. Chabad houses are ‘soft target’. A security door and armed security guard are enough to convince a terrorist to look for an easier target.

    I should add that you will be protected as it says ‘shomer pesaim Hashem’!!

  • awacs

    “ … Rabbi Yosef Y. Schneersohn, who, when informed of a threat from ‘gangsters’ that intended to attack him, made sure to carry a pistol.”

    Source?

  • Milhouse

    “Look at the kids coming back from Afghanistan and Iraq today. Most of them are suffering terrible trauma ”

    That is not true. It wasn’t true in Vietnam and it wasn’t true in the first Gulf war, and it isn’t true now.

  • Dovid Herz

    If armed, one needs to train, train and train some more. You have to be an expert sharpshooter to be able to “make it through” the horrors of a “shootout.” I have been advising Jewish institutions for years on crime and terrorist prevention techniques. “Packing” is just one of many tactics to prevent crime and/or terrorist attacks. It also needs to be advertised that a community/shul is properly protected (though one does not have to identify who is armed and who is not). Criminals and terrorist look for easy/soft targets. If a target is thought to be “hard,” they will just move on to the next target. My two cents from an ex-cop and field grade military offier…

  • Armed Shliach

    Mr. Harry, What makes me delusional? And how do you know what most shluchim can’t and can do? Because of the price? A armed guard will be far more expensive then a good firearm, lessons and range time. Blanket statements……..

  • Milhouse

    By the way, for those who are unaware of this episode in Chabad history, the threat to the Rebbe’s life was from the Poalei Tzion, and in fact they did take a shot at the Rebbe, but BH they missed. This is for all those people who imagine Chabad is a zionist organisation, ch”v.

  • Charlie

    @ #18 you’re kidding me right? Have you ever talk to any of them, do you know any of them personally? Open any newspaper and you will see the facts that i am talking about.

  • To comment #10

    If you do not have a record, YOU CAN get a shotgun permit in CH, NYC, NY

    (CH=crown heigts)

  • David Hompes

    2 comments:

    Most shluchim I have seen might be Torah heroes, but their guv is mostly (terribly) out of shape.

    If you have that gun, you better develop a mentality to actually sqeeze that trigger when needed ch’v’s. (that can take years)

  • Milhouse

    #27, I am not kidding. The newspapers make these things up because they are anti-war and anti-military and want to stir up public sentiment against it, and also because they want people to look down on veterans as “damaged” and dangerous. That’s why they constantly trump up stories about veterans being violent or suicidal, none of which is true. Combat veterans (of all wars) have LOWER rates of violence and suicide than do other people of the same demographics.

  • Not me

    To David Hompes (#29):

    To some of us, it comes naturally! It’s a mitzva m’d’oraisa, “If someone comes to kill you, kill him first.” Do you say Krias Shma? Keep Shabbos? Kosher? Why not do this other mitzvah with as much koach, if the occasion arises?

  • Not me

    To David Hompes (#29):

    To some of us, it comes naturally! It’s a mitzva m’d’oraisa, “If someone comes to kill you, kill him first.” Do you say Krias Shma? Keep Shabbos? Kosher? Why not do this other mitzvah with as much koach, if the occasion arises?

  • Richard Dawson

    The answer to this security issues must be integral and simple.Must include a liason with the intelligence agencies of law enforcement, as well as with the army overseas. What is called the G-2’s, this is not expensive at all, is only a matter of coordination and good communications. As well as outreaching to the community,among our menbers we have well trained ex officers of the armed forces.That know how to develop a system like this, is not rocket science or something like that. More than using weapons that are absolutely necessary,as part of the program, you need to increase the safety and security awareness among our menbers.We have to realize that we are at war and be alert in every moment.Like when we were reconstructing the temple, there was a group in charge of the security of the operations. This is not complicated to build a intelligence operation in the community to gather information from the neighborhood open sources. Knowing who is who and the links they could have with known terrorists groups like the FARC and Hezbollah.As well as develop a committee of analysis of 3 or 4 menbers, from the congregation preferably the ones with former military experience,psychologists or sociologists to develop stategies and diseminate the information among our menbers, applying modern technology like internet,emails,web pages,flyers to multiply our resources.I have developed in the past similar systems in the Andean Region, to fight against terrorism, is not difficult or expensive at all. We only need the will and discipline to do it, taking ownwership and leadership over a problem that is ours, that no body else is going to solved for us. Because we are talking about our lives, and the ones of our families.And we can not afford to continue ignoring it, or procastinating about it. We as a whole need to do something not just talk about it, and about the diferent theories of engagement at a intellectual level to show our knowledge to justify not to do nothing, we have to address the problem, no body else will do it for us. This attitude is not going to solve the problem or eliminate the danger that is real. Only taking action will do the job plus estrategic and tactical planning.Follow the example of the Rebbe and dont forget we are in Asiyah in the world of action and we need to stop just thinking or talking about it.We need to do do something before it is to late.

  • A Jew who knows

    Front Sight is run by a member of Scientology. Their training isn’t that good any how,

  • awacs

    “Combat veterans (of all wars) have LOWER rates of violence and suicide than do other people of the same demographics.”

    Mod +1, interesting. Source?

  • Milhouse

    awacs, I don’t remember the source, but it should be easy to find. Just look for FBI statistics.