Jewish – Christian Anti Terrorism Training in Houses of Worship took place with several prominent Rabbi’s from the New York area and well known Pastor Ken Pangano of the New Beth El Church in Louisville Ky. Recently Pastor Pangano has been all over the national news scene for his open stance on allowing guns in his church for self protection. 

The Tzedek Anti Terror Task Force which was founded  in 1996 by activist Rabbi Gary Moskowitz came together in Havurat Israel the Synagogue of Rabbi David Algazi Queens New York with Pastor Pangano, Rabbinic intern Stuart Rosenberg who’s a well known martial arts expert and president of Philadelphia Detection Systems Inc. a Philadelphia based security alarm firm and David Goldenberg a former NYPD officer and special weapons and tactics trainer.

The group met to discuss Homeland Security issues facing religious communities and particularly houses of worship.  The group believes Clergy need take a stance and lead the way toward responsibility to defend their flocks. Rabbi Moskowitz and Tzedek have developed a complete course to train community leaders and clergy on how to organize, defend, and implement a local security team in their community. It’s a religious edict from the Torah “Guard your Soul” states Rabbi Moskowtz. 

After the general meeting the group got down to some serious combat shooting training and gun defense skills which requires a minimum of a 50 hour course to learn the basic skills. Tzedek is a lot more than the average Rabbis but almost every person involved is a serious martial arts instructor, former military or police officer or in the field of professional security. Rabbi David Algazi mentioned in his capacity as a Rabbi ”I’m not yet comfortable myself with firearms however I know people are out there that want to kill us and I feel that training to use a firearm and establishing a local security team is an act of  preserving life”.

 Pastor Paganno a former marine, who now serves as a police chaplain, NRA handgun instructor, and full time pastor started an open gun policy in his church as way to protect himself and his flock as well as a way to draw people into his church. In Kentucky hand gun laws are liberal and law abiding citizens have the right to openly carry a firearm. Pastor Paganno said he wants people to feel comfortable with guns and realize good religious people with guns is not a contradiction and people have nothing to fear. Many people see the religious as sheep who won’t defend themselves but people should know we are the sheep dogs. Rabbis and Pastors must work to protect their flocks said Pastor Pagano. We all know police are great but they usually don’t come until after the fact “That’s why we carry guns because we can’t carry police officers.”

Many people are in the US are unaware about the easy availability of firearms in the State of Israel. Nearly everyone interested in the preservation of the Second Amendment in America points to Israel as proof of how ordinary citizens, armed and trained, are a deterrent to crime and terrorism. Tezdek believes proper security, education and training will send a strong message to every criminal and make our clergy and congregants much safer.  

Stuart Rosenberg is the Regional Director for PA, NJ, DE. and can be reached at (856) 380-1999. We are available to all faiths for security consulting, firearms training and self-defense courses for clergy, houses of worship and religious communities.  The National Director Rabbi Gary Moskowitz can be reached at (917) 916-4681.

Popularity: 100% [?]