New York synagogues offered phones that connect instantly to emergency services
New York City Police Department Image by Getty Images
(JTA) — Special phones that connect instantly to emergency services are being offered to New York City synagogues in the wake of a rise in anti-Semitic incidents in the city.
The phones, dubbed “shul phones,” are being offered by the Shomrim, a volunteer Jewish neighborhood patrol, the New York Post reported.
The phone will allow callers to press one button to be connected to 911, the local Shomrim or the Hatzolah ambulance service. In addition to being a quick way to connect to emergency services, the phone would be available on Shabbat, when most Jewish people do not carry their cell phones and synagogue land lines are locked away.
Some 200 synagogues have expressed interest in the special phone, according to the Post, citing a Shomrim supervisor. They will be sold at cost, expected to be under $200, according to the report.
The post New York synagogues offered phones that connect instantly to emergency services appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
Why I became the Forward’s Editor-in-Chief
You are surely a friend of the Forward if you’re reading this. And so it’s with excitement and awe — of all that the Forward is, was, and will be — that I introduce myself to you as the Forward’s newest editor-in-chief.
And what a time to step into the leadership of this storied Jewish institution! For 129 years, the Forward has shaped and told the American Jewish story. I’m stepping in at an intense time for Jews the world over. We urgently need the Forward’s courageous, unflinching journalism — not only as a source of reliable information, but to provide inspiration, healing and hope.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
