Citation

Samson MGM. Contemp. Jewry 2021; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, Association for the Sociological Study of Jewry; Association for the Social Scientific Study of Jewry, Publisher Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s12397-021-09371-5

PMID

33941993

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.

Language: en

Keywords

Community; Security; Hate crimes; Places of worship; Synagogues