Language:
English
Year of publication:
2021
Titel der Quelle:
Contemporary Jewry
Angaben zur Quelle:
41,2 (2021) 437-459
Keywords:
Synagogues Organization and administration
;
Synagogues Security measures
;
Hate crimes History 21st century
;
Antisemitism History 21st century
;
Jewish communities History 21st century
Abstract:
Violent hate crimes at places of worship such as synagogues in recent years have engendered a distinctive dilemma for religious institutions: How can one ensure people’s safety and security without compromising the warm and welcoming environment that these communities seek to create? Drawing upon five interviews with Jewish leaders, this article explores how this dilemma is being negotiated by synagogues in Chicago. After presenting three key predicaments faced by synagogues as regards security, the article argues that securitization should be understood as a form of “white noise,” necessary to religious institutions’ functioning and yet necessarily invisible. Indeed, although security is now an essential feature of many synagogues, it is also at constant risk of undermining their cordial ambience through providing a reminder of one’s mortality, requiring that it be present, but in the background. Consequently, synagogues today are compelled to find a careful balance between hospitality and openness, with diverse and often paradoxical implications.
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