The Secure Community Network (SCN), the official safety and security organization for the Jewish community in North America, and the Jewish Federation & Foundation of Northeast Florida have announced the hiring of Alex Silverstein as their new community security director.
Silverstein will implement, direct and develop a security program designed to increase safety and security for all those who participate in synagogues, schools, museums, service organizations and other centers of Jewish life in Northeast Florida.
“SCN is honored to work in partnership with the Jewish Federation & Foundation of Northeast Florida to ensure the safety, security and resiliency of the Jewish people,” said Michael Masters, national director and CEO of SCN. “This initiative is part of our effort to create a security shield over the entire Jewish community in North America. We are establishing comprehensive security initiatives across the country to empower and protect Jewish communities, and we are thrilled to build on our partnership with the Jewish Federation & Foundation of Northeast Florida to support their safety and security initiatives.”
“The Jewish Federation & Foundation of Northeast Florida is excited to partner with SCN and welcomes Alex Silverstein to our team,” said Jewish Federation & Foundation of Northeast Florida’s CEO Mariam Feist. “As America faces dramatic increases in antisemitic threats and incidents, Jewish communal security has never been more important. Alex’s 26 years of experience and knowledge of public safety and security issues will be instrumental in keeping us as safe, secure and prepared as possible.”
The Federation security program is part of the growing network of Jewish Federations and communities that have partnered with SCN to launch communitywide security programs designed around an “all threats, all hazards” approach to preparedness, safety, security and resiliency.
Each program is connected to SCN’s national operations, providing direct access to SCN’s National Jewish Security Operations Command Center and Duty Desk, as well as best practice security resources and support related to policies, procedures, physical security, facility assessments, training and incident response.
Jumping right in, Silverstein organized training for camp counselors working in various summer camps at multiple camp locations. He trained the camp counselors in “Countering an Active Threat”— teaching them how to respond when faced with a security threat and children are present.
The “Run, Hide, Fight” training is adapted to teach counselors to trust their instincts when feeling the presence of a threat and to commit to action in keeping the children and themselves safe and out of harm’s way.
If you would like to take part in one of the trainings, there will be a communitywide security training in preparation for the High Holidays that will be free and open to the public. The training will take place at the Jacksonville Jewish Center at 7 p.m. Aug. 23. Pre-register for this event at events.idonate.com/communitywidesecuritytraining.
The Jacksonville security initiative is being made possible through professional support from the Federation and SCN; funding through the collaborative efforts of the Federation local donors; community partner organizations and national donor support from LiveSecure, the historic partnership between The Jewish Federations of North America and SCN to fund and create a collective security framework for every Jewish community across North America.
"In our journey to ensure that every Jewish community has a strong security initiative necessary for flourishing Jewish life, we're thrilled to see that Jacksonville is taking steps to strengthen its security program,” said Jewish Federations of North America Chair Julie Platt. “I look forward to working with the community to raise the necessary matching funds as it continues on its journey to secure the Jewish community."
To lead the effort, former FBI Special Agent Alex Silverstein has been appointed the community security director.
Prior to joining SCN, Silverstein spent more than 26 years with the FBI. He served as a special agent in the Washington, D.C., field office, FBI headquarters and the Jacksonville Division. A significant portion of Silverstein’s FBI career was in crisis and critical incident response, where he also served as the weapons of mass destruction coordinator and a senior member of the FBI’s Evidence Response Team.
On Sept. 11, 2001, Silverstein was one of the FBI’s initial responders to the terrorist attack at the Pentagon. He has been deployed to multiple significant special events and crime scenes, including the 2001 anthrax attacks, the 2015 Papal visit, the 2016 attack on the Pulse Nightclub and the 2017 and 2021 Presidential Inaugurations.
Prior to the FBI, Silverstein was a legal assistant/investigator and an assistant state`s attorney for the Prince George`s County State`s Attorney`s Office in Maryland.
“It is an honor for me to contribute my law enforcement knowledge and experience to working with the Jewish Federation & Foundation of Northeast Florida and SCN toward the safety and security of our community,” said Silverstein. “I look forward to leveraging these experiences and community relationships to help everyone become more prepared and resilient against all forms of threats.”
