North Texas Police Departments Increase Security At Synagogues, Other Jewish Sites
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Dallas Police were stationed at Temple Shalom Saturday night, Jan. 15, and Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson announced police would do so at other locations across the city.
CBS 11 spoke with the president of the synagogue in Dallas while the hostage situation at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville was still going on.
"We are very grateful for the support of the Dallas Mayor and the Dallas Police Department certainly," said Debra Levy-Fritts, President of Temple Shalom. "We always feel they are supportive of our community."
Levy-Fritts says after hearing about the hostage situation at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, she and their synagogue leadership let their 615-member families know they're monitoring the situation.
In Fort Worth Police Chief Neil Noakes tweeted earlier that although there are no threats in Fort Worth, his department was taking steps to make sure our amazing Jewish community and local synagogues feel safe and supported."
The Plano Police Department said it too was monitoring the hostage situation throughout the day and had made arrangements for the safety of the community there.
Levy-Fritts says she has had the pleasure of working with Congregation Beth Israel Rabbi Cytron-Walker on social justice issues, and that what was happening in Colleyville felt surreal.
"I was terrified, I was horrified and I felt it was just an unimaginable, frightening circumstance," said Levy-Fritts. "This is another one of those where the wind is taken out of you and you have to spring into action and figure out how to cope and how to deal with it. And how to comfort your community as well."
She expressed gratitude not only to police but for everyone across the different faith communities in North Texas and across the country for sending their love and support for not just Congregation Beth Israel but the Jewish Community as a whole.