{"id":190725,"date":"2026-03-13T21:29:08","date_gmt":"2026-03-13T21:29:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/190725\/"},"modified":"2026-03-13T21:29:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T21:29:08","slug":"central-florida-jewish-leaders-check-on-community-increase-security-after-michigan-attack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/190725\/","title":{"rendered":"Central Florida Jewish leaders check on community, increase security after Michigan attack"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">ORLANDO, Fla.  \u2013 Following <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clickorlando.com\/news\/national\/2026\/03\/12\/the-latest-man-fatally-shot-attacking-michigan-synagogue-ap-source-says\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.clickorlando.com\/news\/national\/2026\/03\/12\/the-latest-man-fatally-shot-attacking-michigan-synagogue-ap-source-says\/\">an attack on one of the nation\u2019s largest synagogues<\/a> in Michigan, Jewish leaders in Central Florida say they are checking on their extended community while also taking steps to strengthen local security.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Rabbi Sholom Dubov with Chabad of Greater Orlando says the organization has affiliates in the area where the attack happened and reached out to ensure they were safe.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">\u201cGenerally, it\u2019s horrific that people could consider doing this to innocent civilians and children,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Dubov says the incident has prompted additional security efforts locally. He says the organization is in the process of installing new security cameras around its buildings in Winter Park and plans to have a security guard stationed at the door.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Leaders say the added precautions are important, especially with thousands of Jewish families living across Central Florida who rely on the organization for religious services, education and community events.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">\u201cWe want to reassure everyone that our first priority is that everyone is safe and secure. But just as important, we shouldn\u2019t give into the negativity and fear, and instead we should strengthen by coming together.\u201d <\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Despite the concerns, Dubov says the community has also seen strong support from neighbors across the region.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">He says the outpouring of encouragement has reassured members of the Jewish community that they are not alone and should not live in fear.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">\u201cThis intention to harm us, set us back or prevent us from doing programs is actually producing the exact opposite results, people are calling to support, people are calling with interest in participating,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 ewwUYq\">\u201cThe Holocaust Memorial Resource &amp; Education Center of Florida (The Holocaust Center) condemns yesterday\u2019s armed attack on Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan, in the strongest possible terms. \u201d<\/p>\n<p>Holocaust Memorial Resource &amp; Education Center of Florida <\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">An attacker rammed a vehicle packed with explosives into the synagogue and opened fire while 140 children were in the building\u2019s child care center, along with teachers and staff. That every one of those children went home safe is a testament to the courage of Temple Israel\u2019s security team. We are grateful for the heroic guards who put themselves in harm\u2019s way to stop the attacker and wish them a full recovery.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Antisemitic violence is not an abstraction. It is a man with a rifle driving into a synagogue full of children on a Thursday morning, looking to do unspeakable harm. Even more horrifying is the fact that this was the fifth attack on a synagogue worldwide just this week. At the Holocaust Center, our mission has always been to build a more just and caring community free of antisemitism and all forms of prejudice and bigotry. Days like yesterday are a reminder of how urgent that work remains, especially at a time of rapidly rising antisemitism.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Our hearts are with the Temple Israel community, the first responders who were injured battling the blaze, and the families across Michigan and throughout the country who are shaken by this attack.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Breaking News Alerts<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 kiwhtN\">Get breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox.<\/p>\n<p>Copyright 2026 by WKMG ClickOrlando &#8211; All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"ORLANDO, Fla. \u2013 Following an attack on one of the nation\u2019s largest synagogues in Michigan, Jewish leaders in&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":190726,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[28,30,29,83041,1335,139],"class_list":["post-190725","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-florida","tag-florida","tag-florida-headlines","tag-florida-news","tag-jews","tag-orange-county","tag-orlando"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/190725","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=190725"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/190725\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/190726"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=190725"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=190725"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=190725"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}