Please Be Aware
Clashes broke out in the Borough Park area of NYC on Tuesday evening after pro-Palestinian protesters “descended” on one of the heaviest Jewish-populated areas in the US. City leaders described the pro-Palestinian group’s actions as antisemitic, adding that they were looking to incite violence and fear. See below article for more information.
For awareness, the Better Business Bureau is warning about IRS text message scams. Please know that the IRS will never text you. See below article for more information.
So far in 2025, we have logged 45 incidents in our Virtual Command Center. This compares to 36 for 2024. We continue to collaborate closely with law enforcement to monitor potential threat activity. Please continue to report any suspicious incidents via the Incident Report Form.
Security Matters in the News This Week
- Swastika spray-painted outside Jewish Community Services Building in Yonkers (longisland.news12.com)
- Brawls break out surrounding pro-Palestinian protest in heavily Jewish neighborhood of Borough Park (www.jta.org)
- Stimulus Check 2025: BBB sounds alarm on IRS impersonation scams– Here’s how to identify fake messages and protect your personal information from phishing attacks (www.msn.com)
- Utah man accused of threatening to shoot up NYC synagogues arrested entering Lincoln Tunnel (nypost.com)
- How to Spot and Avoid Publishers Clearing House Scams (www.security.org)
- Swastika spray-painted on Westmount synagogue: Montreal police investigating (montreal.citynews.ca)
BluePoint Status
BluePoint installations are now complete at Kollel, Aleph, Shaare Torah and NCJW. Testing to take place next week. Upstreet installation is scheduled to begin next week. 26 of our organizations are online with BluePoint, with seven more coming online by April 1, 2025. Police boxes have all been installed at 16 of our organizations.
Our BluePoint training video and refresher video are available on YouTube. These are useful for new staff or as a reminder for existing staff.
Security Resources and/or Training
Online Safety & Digital Responsibility
Pittsburgh, PA 15217 United States + Google Map
Open to the Public The Jewish Federation is hosting an evening of discussion about cybersecurity awareness for younger students and their families with Felicia Trovato, Community Outreach Specialist, FBI Pittsburgh. Join a discussion with FBI Pittsburgh about online safety for students in grades 5 through 9. Registration is required. Topics Covered Online Safety & Situation Awareness Cyberbullying Awareness Trusted Adults & Seeking Help Digital Footprint & Permanence Text Message Et...
Emergency Preparedness Webinar
"If it is predictable, it is preventable." ~Gordan Graham Hazards, both manmade and natural, are a concern for all organizations. Establishing an All-Hazards Plan will not only assist in preventing many known threats, it will also provide a roadmap to mitigate these hazards. Continuity of Business Plans are the next step and crucial to direct how to move forward and restore your organization. This Webinar prepares organizations to handle emergencies by building All-Hazards and Continuity of...
Guardian Training
Please contact Erin Fagan at efagan@jfedpgh.org or 412-992-5252 to schedule this training.
Situational Awareness, Active Threat, and De-Escalation Training
If you or your organization have not yet had these training modules, please contact Erin Fagan at efagan@jfedpgh.org or 412-992-5252. All can be made available in person or via Zoom.
Request Training for Your Organization →
If you need Go Bags, Emergency Safety Procedures Flip Charts or medical supplies contact Erin Fagan at efagan@jfedpgh.org or 412-992-5252.
