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That was the first thing out of my Mom’s mouth when we heard about this, where was the security..I know when I go to Temple every week they have an armed guard standing outside and one standing inside..but I guess without metal detectors, you can’t screen every single person, but how the heck do people get inside a temple with MEAT CLEAVERS and axes..isn’t that something you can easily spot

I don’t know why it didn’t have armed guards - perhaps it was an area with little or no previous trouble. I sincerely doubt that this situation will occur again, anywhere in Israel. It is just tragic that it took 5 dead and several injured to wake them up. I guess that this is just human nature, similar to how dangerous intersections never get a red light until someone dies in an accident.

My brother lives over there, and he’s been hired as a security guard by one of the synogogues, but he and it are over the “Green Line” (i.e. they are in territory gained in 1967).

In my synogogue in southern Texas, there are at least 2 armed and uniformed police officers at the gate/on patrol on the grounds on every Sabbath, with more on holidays or celebrations. Oh, and quite a number of us congregants also pack some heat - we take seriously the admonition “Never again...but if again, then not for free.”

Oh, and just to head off the question: yes, it is normally forbidden to carry items on the Sabbath (and on most holidays), particularly something that could light a spark of some kind (based on the Biblical prohibition on starting a fire on these days)...so a firearm would definitely be prohibited. EXCEPT that Judaism allows for the breaking of virtually any law to save a life. IMHO, this qualifies. Someone might say, “Well, how do you know - maybe you’re carrying this prohibited item for nothing?” Which would be true enough. But since G-d has not graced me with the gift of prophecy, I can’t know when my life or those of the people around me are in danger, so I carry every time I’m there because it MIGHT save a life.