After the synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh, Jewish students have had enough. There has been a huge spike in Jewish students taking ‘active shooter’ response classes, so Robert Bowers never happens again.
| Huge spike in Jewish students taking ‘active shooter’ response classes |
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According to Yonatan Stern, the founder of Cherev Gidon Israeli Tactical Training Academy, many Jewish citizens agree that they need to be able to defend themselves. Stern told France 24 that his firm has received more course sign-up requests from Jews in the days since the mass murder at Tree of Life, than it has in the entire time the academy opened six years ago.
Stern said hundreds of people have called to enroll in courses since the attack.
“There is no question that Jews are under threat in America. Would you say to soldiers on the front line, ‘just lay down your guns and let the enemy kill you?’ No. So Jews need to be armed,” Stern said.
Since the attack in Pittsburgh — which was the deadliest attack on Jews in American history — Stern has designed a course specifically focused on how to respond to an active shooter in a synagogue. Cherev Gidon offers classes in Pennsylvania and Arizona.