August 29, 2025

Shalom Friends,

We write today with a heavy heart and a firm resolve. We are living in deeply unsettling times. The rise in antisemitism is not a distant headline; it is here, in Vermont and across the Northeast, threatening the peace and safety of our community.

This week, multiple synagogues in Vermont and throughout the region received anonymous letters containing violent threats against our staff and congregants tied to the Israel-Hamas war. These messages falsely and dangerously conflate our local Jewish community with the war in Israel/Gaza, placing individuals and families here at risk. While the FBI and local law enforcement are investigating the seriousness of the threats, the emotional impact already is real: fear, grief, and isolation are emotions many of us are feeling.  The recent attack on a church school in Minneapolis is a reminder of the horror one lone person can cause to a community.

We must be clear: these frightening emotions cannot become our new normal. We cannot allow threats to diminish our pride, our celebrations, or our unity. Jewish Vermonters are not proxies for foreign policy. We are neighbors, educators, students, and friends, and we deserve to live, work, and gather without fear.

In this moment, we must strive to achieve calm and increased vigilance. While your local law enforcement may increase its presence around synagogues and community gatherings during the holidays, we also must increase our own focus on security.

Here is how we can each do our part:

Heighten Awareness: Now is the time for synagogues to review their security playbooks and to ask all congregants and employees to be mindful of their surroundings. If something feels out of place, trust your instincts.

See Something, Say Something: Report suspicious activity immediately to a staff member, board member, event security, or law enforcement. Do not second-guess.

Secure Entrances: Never prop open doors. Ensure they close fully behind you. Never let a stranger inside your building; make sure you have a good screening process in place outside your one entrance. Security protocols protect us all, but only if we all follow them.

Participate in Training: What is the security training for the High Holidays? Security awareness and emergency response trainings should be offered in the coming weeks. Please make it a priority. 

A security handbook is attached for your reference. 

Our strength has always been our unity. In this time of fear and uncertainty, let us stand together with resilience, moral clarity, and unwavering pride. Let us not allow threats to silence us or tear us apart from within.

Thank you for taking this message to heart and for your commitment to the safety and future of our community.

With prayers for peace and security,
Ilana Siegelman, President
Yoram Samets, Board Chair
Mike Kanarick, Board Chair