Jewish community campus security upgrades ‘sadly make sense’

New security measures at the Asper Jewish Community Campus are a sign of the times that “sadly make sense.”

“Unfortunately, there have been reports of threats against Jewish communities in Canada,” said Belle Jarniewski, executive director of the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada, which is located on the campus in Tuxedo, adding there have been no specific threats against the Jewish community in Winnipeg. “It has led to a need for security at Jewish institutions.”

Starting Monday, all visitors to the campus will need to show government-issued identification to enter the facility.

The new digital scanning system, called Patronscan, is the same one used at Manitoba Liquor Marts, said Jeff Lieberman, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg, which has its office at the campus.

Visitors currently sign in at the security desk.

Although antisemitism is on the rise in Canada, Lieberman said there were no recent incidents or threats in Winnipeg that led to the security upgrade.

“We have been talking about enhancing security for a long time,” he said, adding it “probably would have happened” even if Israel and Hamas were not involved in a war that has raged for nearly six months in Gaza.

“The decision has been a long time in the making,” he said.

The new security system enables digitally scanning and storing government identification for visitors without access cards or fobs, resulting in a faster and more seamless entry process, Lieberman said.

The scanned identifications will automatically be verified against an internal database of barred individuals, helping to maintain a safe and secure environment, he said.

There are a handful of such people on that list, he said.

Accepted forms of identification include a driver’s licence, Manitoba Identification Card, certificate of Indian Status, Manitoba Métis Federation citizenship card, Canadian Armed Forces identification card or a passport.

Visitor identifications will be securely stored in a remote data centre in Edmonton for 21 days, Lieberman said, noting the campus “respects the importance of privacy” of visitors.

Patronscan employs robust security measures to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of the stored information, he said.

Through her work, Jarniewski has visited Jewish organizations in Europe which have a heightened concern about threats and attacks. “Their level of security is very high,” she said.

Until recently, that kind of security was not needed here, she said.

The new measures will make people who work at or visit the campus feel more comfortable, she said.

Jarniewski has received e-mail threats.

“Really ugly stuff,” she said.

A couple of examples included the phrases “you’re not safe,” and “we’re coming to exterminate you.”

She said such threats make her far more aware of her surroundings, “something I never had to do in the past.”

As many as a thousand people visit the campus every day for work, to attend school, for programs, child care or to use the Rady community centre, which includes a gym, fitness centre and pool. In addition to the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg and Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada, the campus is home to Jewish Child and Family Services, the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba and the Winnipeg Jewish Theatre.

faith@freepress.mb.ca

The Free Press is committed to covering faith in Manitoba. If you appreciate that coverage, help us do more! Your contribution of $10, $25 or more will allow us to deepen our reporting about faith in the province. Thanks! BECOME A FAITH JOURNALISM SUPPORTER