Jewish News Syndicate: Secure Community Network debuts video-based interactive training for Jewish students

The Secure Community Network, the 21-year-old nonprofit that serves as the North American Jewish community’s official safety organization, wants Jewish students to prepare to keep themselves safe by watching tape like a football team would to prepare for its next opponent or the U.S. Secret Service does during its advance work ahead of a presidential visit.

“College years are meant to be some of the best and most formative times in a young person’s life. Our goal is to equip Jewish students with the tools to fully embrace that experience while giving them the confidence to respond effectively in an emergency,” Kerri Reifel, SCN’s director of campus safety and security, told JNS. 

“We want to ensure that fear doesn’t paralyze them,” she added. “It’s not about living in fear but about cultivating an awareness and preparedness mindset that allows them to feel secure and confident in any situation.”

Reifel and SCN walked JNS through an exclusive, first look at the nonprofit’s SafeU training program. It is part of the organization’s larger Operation SecureOurCampuses initiative, which has expanded its intelligence and training efforts across more than 50 high-risk universities.

SCN helps Jewish students review video footage of real-life situations in interactive sessions with security experts. Situational awareness is key, according to Reifel.

“Once that becomes second nature, you can gradually add more, such as recognizing potential objects that could be used to protect yourself,” she said. “The key is to move at your own pace so the process doesn’t become overwhelming.”

“This is about fostering a new muscle, which will enhance your sense of confidence and control rather than fear,” she said.

Designed with student input, SafeU centers on participatory dialogue and was created for scenarios that have developed since Oct. 7, 2023, including violent protests at Columbia University and Barnard College. It is highly interactive.

Chad Lotman, the nonprofit’s national trainer and curriculum developer, told JNS that the program’s goal, rather than being specific to scenarios, is to ingrain general principles that students can use to make better decisions. 

The training has four components: awareness, planning, training and action.

“With all the different things that were occurring on campus, it’s impossible to cover every scenario, so we came up with some scenarios—some generic, real-world scenarios, things that actually happened,” Lotman told JNS. “We found videos on social media and news coverage. We look for different videos of real-world events to focus our attention on.”

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