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U.S. Homeland Security Runs Threat Response Exercise with Jewish Leaders
(JTA) About 50 high-ranking federal and state law enforcement officials met with an equal number of leading American Jewish officials for their first joint Department of Homeland Security-American Jewish Community Table Top Exercise on Wednesday. The exercise was designed to identify gaps in information sharing, to share best practices and to push security concerns throughout the American Jewish community. "This was not just another briefing," said Paul Goldenberg, national director of the Jewish Federations of North America's Secure Community Network. "This milestone event was to have the highest level national leaders together in a room for five hours with senior Jewish leaders." The program began with a current threat assessment by government officials and then simulated potential threats. Participants watched law enforcement coordinate responses to two scenarios: multiple attacks on Israeli and Jewish communities throughout the diaspora, and on Jewish institutions in the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, who participated in the exercise, said in a statement: "Our partnership with organizations and leaders of faith communities has helped, and continues to help, communities across the country prepare for threats that may originate either within our borders or abroad."