Iran’s Attack on Israel
5 min read
I’m no Rambo. I am fulfilling my responsibility to protect my family and my community.
I never had anything to do with guns. They weren't on the radar.
All that changed two years ago when the United States Supreme Court ruled that individual states could not restrict individual citizens' right to carry guns. Maybe it was the "forbidden fruit" opportunity to do something which my deep-blue state had kept me from doing for so many years, or maybe I had an unconscious foreboding of what was to come, but I soon found myself sitting in a concealed carry gun class, listening to an Israeli expat tell us all about when we could draw our weapons.
I barely passed the course which included a trip to a local gun range, but soon enough, I had my permit. Shortly afterwards, a small Glock semi-automatic, with a matching "tuckable" holster, found itself occasionally on my hip. Ongoing visits to the firing range improved my accuracy. (I don’t think I'll ever be a sharpshooter.)
Mentioning my accomplishment to a few friends at shul revealed an interest to start a concealed carry group. We went to our Rabbi, who, much to my surprise, gave the project his okay. Within a month, a dozen members were sitting in the shul's social hall watching PowerPoint presentations at a concealed carry class led by the owner of the security company.
With the rise of antisemitic attacks on US communities, our concealed carry group went from a casual club into an integral part of shul life.
We had rounds of tactical drills in the back of the shul, pointing colorful plastic guns at an “intruder”, yelling, "Get on the ground!" Everyone had fun.
Every few weeks, I texted out a list of who would sit in the back of the shul on a given Shabbat morning. All was quiet.
Then came October 7.
Our security guard took some of us aside that morning and told us that the news apps were full of terrible things happening in Israel, with thousands of people under fire, and hundreds of hostages taken captive.
It seemed unreal and far away, until that night which was Simchat Torah. As we were walking over to the Sephardi shul next door to dance together in a beautiful show of unity, a car slowed down, driving as close as it could, blaring loud Arab music. Then it drove off, but we had gotten the message. They know where we are.
With the rise of antisemitic attacks on US communities, our concealed carry group went from a casual club into an integral part of shul life. Every member is now expected to carry at all shul events, from weekday and Shabbat services to bar mitzvahs and Torah classes. Even off-duty members are armed and ready to jump in if needed.
But as things intensified, I started sensing misgivings. What is this hard-metal thing doing under my shirt, in my house? The years of hearing politicians blame "those guns on the street" for the crime surges came back to haunt me. And the pro-gun community was no refuge; I received magazines and emails from the gun-carrying world, full of advertisements showing either ex-military commandos showing off their latest "get 'em all" gadgets, or happy tough guys in plaid shirts showing off their shotguns. Totally foreign material.
Neither side felt right. I needed an entirely new way to look at carrying a gun, so I went to my Rabbi for guidance and we entered this uncharted territory together.
“Whenever you are carrying a gun,” he advised me, “you are fulfilling several mitzvot, commandments. ‘Guard your life’ by protecting yourself, and ‘love your neighbor’ for protecting others. You’re not a Rambo. You’re a Jew engaged in doing important mitzvot.”
Suddenly, my little hobby began to take on greater significance. I realized that I was doing my duty in putting in the necessary effort to protect our community. The rest was in God’s Hands.
At the end of the day I say a quiet prayer of thanks that my Glock stayed right where I had put it that morning. The best day is a quiet day.
Now my Glock is on my hip, from 6:30 am before morning services, until 10:30 pm, after evening services. When I learn with my study partners, when I am shopping at the kosher grocery store, when I attend lectures from visiting rabbis, when I visit friends and family - I am carrying. They have no idea that I am protecting them, as well as myself, as it rests under my clothing.
At the end of the day I say a quiet prayer of thanks that my Glock stayed right where I had put it that morning. The best day is a quiet day.
Carrying a gun is certainly not for everyone. I can totally relate not wanting to get near a gun. It took a lot of work for me to get to this place. Even though I long for the days when I could simply enter shul without having to walk through a thick metal fence and punch in a code, this is the current reality we living in, and I am grateful for doing my part.
I'm surprised to see this article on Aish (on the homepage!) without any caveats. While guns are indeed becoming more common in some Jewish communities, what this article fails to address is gun safety.
Far more people are injured, killed or die by suicide from gun ownership. I'm far more concerned about Jewish "Rambos" with limited training making knee-jerk reactions to perceived threats than confident that a citizen militia can actually save lives.
People successfully defend themselves with guns in less than 1% of crimes in which there is contact between a perpetrator and a victim. in fact, research shows that carrying a gun may increase a victim’s risk of injury when a crime is committed.
Wendy ---- These are challenging times; there are no safe space for Jews worldwide. Everyone with a gun must be quick, agile and on target. They must access the situation and be prepared and not fearful to shoot the enemy. Every second counts when facing evil ..... and all Jews must not hesitate to strike back. No one should think Jews are easy targets. Sure mistakes will happen but I rather know when faced with evil that someone may intervene.
correction --- assess the situation
Wendy - I don't think that Aish intended to take a particular side on the issue of private citizens carrying handguns. Rather, the thrust of the article seems to be that Shmuel Feld found himself in a dilemma: feeling cognitive dissonance, from a new role as a gun carrying citizen that conflicted with his gun-less upbringing. Not finding satisfactory answers from either the left wing ("Guns are bad!"), nor the right wing (Guns are great!), he turned to the Torah, which is defined as "Instructions for Living," and found an answer that resolved his dilemma.
As far as your concerns about gun safety, they are legitimate questions, and I hope to address them later today.
Wendy, time to address the issues of gun safety to you raise. You start with "Far more people are injured, killed, or die from gun ownership."...Than what? Are you referring to the millions of illegally owned guns? Absolutely those should be taken away.
You then voice a concern about Jewish "Rambo's." Again, I also 100% agree with you. Our shul chose its concealed carry group by looking specifically for "Type B" personalities, people who think before acting. (We turned one down, because he seemed too gung-ho.) Then we trained them thoroughly in the performance of their duties, ensuring that they knew precisely what to do in given situations. Ongoing training is a must, as well.
You cite research and statistics in your last paragraph, without sources, so I cannot comment on them.
What took you so long?
https://vinnews.com/2024/03/18/religious-women-in-territories-armor-up/
In Israel, a flood of applications for gun permits. Women who could never imagine taking up arms, are arming.
American Jews must take full advantage of the Second Amendment.
I should like to see the establishment of militias composed entirely of Jewish men to protect Jewish communities.
Robert, these synagogue groups are in effect militias, protecting Jewish communities.
I am a Jewish woman who does not leave my house without my pistol. I go to schul with it and sit in a strategic location. Schul members are not pleased, but they will if I ever need to use it to protect them.
I stopped donating too to various things .
I am commending you for your courage to protect our people!& I would like to take lessons
Susan, There may be like-minded Jewish women already in your community. Also check the USCCA website for local instructors. They have posted many videos on YouTube and have become more attentive to women's carrying, as that is the fastest growing segment. Hatzlocha, and may we never need to use our weapons!
true dat
I grew up with guns, and own many. I've practiced with them most of my life, but, living in the People's Republic of Maryland, I've never had the opportunity/drive/need to concealed carry. Even now, with the laws somewhat relaxed, it seems too much trouble to go through the legal hoops and the increased costs of getting a concealed carry license.
Izzy, as someone who jumped through those hoops to get a Maryland concealed carry permit, I'll ask you to just remember - in the end, those wokey-pokey super-duper liberals have to listen to the US Government, respect your 2nd Amendment rights, and give you that license. And precisely because so many have been discouraged, the bad guys are that much more emboldened - we need you!
Good
A few points to consider...
Tzvi, look at Mishna Brura, Siman 151, sk22, where he says that weapons are allowed in a shul, so long as they are not out in the open.
All of your points are well made. Owning and concealing a gun is for one reason only (unless, like me, you live in a rural area where hunting is permitted): SELF DEFENSE. As a woman, and for all, legal concealment is necessary for self-defense (Virginia is an open carry state but seeing guns can scare people and cause a ruckus). Hunters here introduce their children to “guns for hunting” at a young age and happily, we don’t have children shooting others due to owner irresponsibility/neglect of the dangers of this weapon. Lastly, most conceal carry course providers cover your points as well as offer training in the firing, cleaning and best concealment and storage options.
always tell police " I felt my life was in danger, he was going to kill me" say nothing more. ask to talk with your attorney. police will try to find grounds to arrest you. never say you are sorry-that implies guilt, not self defense.
Consider 38 SP101 Ruger 5 shot revolver, unlike semi automatics, it does not jam; it does not have to be racked in order to fire. in the stress of self defense shooting it is easy for inexperienced to pull trigger over and over and not be able to fire because they forgot to rack gun. carry 2nd 38 backup. If the bulge of your gun shows, that it a clear message to predators not to mess with you. Boruch Hashem.
Never talk to the police, the lawyer does that
Exactly. The keywords are, "I invoke my right to council, and I invoke my right to silence."
Great article thank you for sharing. It is so important in our time now in America to be properly trained and to protect our families and community.
One more thought re: guns. Imo certain individuals should not be allowed to own them. This blog addresses common sense usage and proper training. I would not want a gun to be in the hands of a person with an explosive hair trigger temper. As always, I thank the aish writers and commenters for getting me to think!
I understand the choice of title, “Nice Jewish Boy” being a meme of sorts. Nonetheless, I was afraid it was going to be a macho defense of men packing heat.
I am happy to see that you have a sensible reason for training and owning a gun. I am also glad that you addressed the subculture that treats a collection of firearms as some kind of fashion, if not idolatry.
Finally, you’re a grown man, and both parents have the obligation to protect their family. That doesn’t mean they both have to do so in the same way (I am disabled and would probably shoot myself in the foot). Thank you for a serious discussion of balancing the needs and risks, as well as the halachic implications of gun ownership. Be careful out there.
IWI Masada Slim: the compact version of the Masada. It uses Jericho-style magazines. The grip is not too much shorter than the regular Masada’s; this is not a micro compact pistol, and is more along the lines of a Glock 19 frame with a Glock 26 slide.
I am seventy -five years old (actually, on Purim) and at the end of 2023 I took a sixteen hour course in order to qualify for a concealed-carry permit (CCA). Before that point in time, I had no interest in guns and had never fired a handgun in my life. But times change and I feel strongly that we must try our best to protect ourselves, our families, and our community. I have since acquired my HQL (permit to purchase) and will purchase a small Glock and hide-away holster soon. Turns out, at our qualifying shooting test, my shots were very, very accurate (I am an artist by profession and have a very good eye and a very steady hand ;-). In our Baltimore shuls, many many members carry (men and woman alike), and we have all been schooled on the do's and don't's of carrying and using weapons.
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/gun-ownership-a-shift-in-american-jewish-thought/
I secretly carried in our shul. No one knew. Later on I told our rabbi and to my surprise I learned that he too had a concealed carry permit. Also I learned that others also carried even some ladies.
Remember the wall builders in Jerusalem under the command of
Nehemiah were told to have a sword while building wall. We are now in a time like that.
It is not only men who are performing this mitzvah. I am a woman and a member of our shul's Shomrim, members who all carry concealed and consider ourselves "on-duty" at all times when at the shul. We formed the group a number of years ago, before the attacks at Poway and the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. It is important to have someone carrying on our side of the mechitza, too!
Reality is staring the Jewish people worldwide and it's high time for Jews to be proactive and prepared for all eventualities. Jewish communities must organize self-defense initiatives be they qualified, licensed armed civilian cadres as martial arts (krav maga) instruction. Weakness and trembling knees syndrome only invite aggression - the projection of strength is effective deterrence.
I am Jewish and have concealed carry. I have been carrying for years. I was in law enforcement for 20 years. Better to have it and not use it. But it will save your life if need be. Best thing is to always keep a watch on your surroundings and who is around you. Avoid certain areas and certain people who might do you harm.
Thank you for protecting עם ישראל
I’m a Vietnam veteran and pretty much considered an expert shooter and I’m glad to read this article as more Jewish people both men and women need to start carrying firearms and learn how to use them
My old shul had a group called the ShalaShooters.
I enjoyed reading this article! I appreciate knowing that someone is carrying what could be the difference between my life and death. It's scary out there and never again truly is right now. I like every other person of proud Jewish decent just can't comprehend how this is happening again in our time.
In the UK carrying or owning handguns is illegal and I would never contemplate carrying one. But anti-Semitic incidents have increased and we all have to be on our guard in different ways
Fellow Brit here and I have to agree. I don't think I could ever reconcile with owning, carrying or using a gun, and I am incredibly thankful to live in a country where it is not the norm. I appreciate this article, though, and fully sympathise with the author feeling at odds with the larger second amendment rights "community". I truly hope that we can soon achieve a degree of peace so that people are no longer forced to grapple with their personal convictions about guns versus feeling unsafe and threatened in their own communities.
'Never Again' is happening again. While everything is clearly determined by the One above, it's our responsibility to protect ourselves by any/every means possible. Don't naively expect the 'government' will defend you against the outraged masses. At 71, I'm hardwired to embrace 'no more yellow stars or cattle cars.'
Check it out--"Before All Hell Breaks Loose"
‘Before all hell breaks loose’ - JNS.org.pdf
Did Jews on October 7 fare better when yhey were carrying guns? So many armed soldiers were ruthlessly slaughtered guns ir no guns.Sk many civilians had to find of guerilla style fighters with almost ineffective pistols.I suspect carrying a Glock is a help psychologically.Little more.Maybe taking on extra zechusim as a protection might be as (or more) powerful.
Respectfully, Like tools, different weapons have different applications. I agree handguns have limited application but in our environment they are useful. It is said 'When seconds matter, police are only minutes away.'
In our village in northern Israel, I went to the levaya of the son of parents who live by us. Their son was found dead in the south in one of the yeshuvim with his rifle by his side... and no ammunition. He had used up all of his ammo trying to keep alive and then... that was the end for him.
It is unfortunate that I, as a civilian, am only allowed 50 rounds of ammo with my gun. If we are ever attacked by a mob that comes close to what happened in the south, I'm not sure how long we could defend ourselves. The good news is that my wife has her gun and her 50 rounds.
E.R., did you see the videos of terrified kibbutzniks, cowering in their "safe rooms," (Hah!) as the terrorists murdered, raped, and kidnapped them? They thought they didn't need guns, they were safe, that the IDF would protect them...they were so wrong. And the Nova concertgoers weren't allowed to carry...see what happened!
I thought safe rooms were meant to protect against missiles, not terrorists inside the house.
Rachel, Exactly. I can't blame them, as the entire IDF and politicians were caught totally unprepared for this kind of attack. However, we can learn from October 7 and be ready for such an attack - especially since so many violent attacks upon Jews have already happened, worldwide.
I'm a big fan of the "merits are what really makes a difference" approach, and that that's the effort that I personally focus on. But there also need to be people with guns. Every individual can ask themselves if they should be that person. I live in Beitar Illit, a chareidi city in Israel, and there are plenty of guns to be seen - both pistols and rifles - by locals and visitors, by security forces and by armed civilians, even on Shabbos.
One could debate the dangers in Israel vs. America, but the basic point still stands.
Good on you. To quote Jabotinsky “Jews learn to shoot” and “Better to have a gun and not need it than to need a gun and not have it”. I grew up in a Betar household. Shooting from before bar mitzvah to today. I am one of many Jewish firearms dealers in America. Never thought I would see this level of Jew hatred in America but now I am old and seeing this makes me question everything. There are no impediments in American society for us we can be armed own anything legal not be Dhimmi not pay the jizya.
Ultimately we as Jews can not depend on any government---especially that of the present US regime---caught up in the insanity of intersectionality and victim vs oppressor mentality to be our bodyguard. We are thorns in the side of socialism and islamism: We believe in the soul of the individual and refuse to be crushed by forces that want us all ground down into a plebeian dust. We believe in Life and in the Joy of living, with all the responsibilities attached to that life and the living of it.
One responsibility we have is to be the lion when necessary. The days of being sheep are over!!!
I think you are much mistaken in your assertion that we cannot depend on what you call “the present US regime.” While ultimately we are all in Hashem’s hands, we have a a variety of governmental agencies at the local, state and federal level charged with protecting the public. We have not suffered a subsequent attack similar to 9/11/2001. Most peace officers do their jobs diligently. I realize that law enforcement can make mistakes, also that there are instances where they are unable to get there in time. But in general we can expect equal protection under law in this country. Blame rests solely with criminals and terrorists, not law enforcement nor our government.
Rachel, in light of the Biden administration's refusal to allow Israel to take the last Hamas outpost, Rafah, until Israel makes major concessions (e.g. Bibi steps down, all the Gazans get food packages, etc) and in Biden's, Schumer's and other officials' incendiary remarks equating Israel with Hamas for blame, do you still have faith in the American government? The USA government does what's in its interest, which here does not dovetail with Israel's desires to destroy Hamas permanently and rescue all the hostages. And police, especially in blue cities, have been hampered by soft-on-crime prosecutors and the woke mob. Certainly we are in Hashem's loving hands, but that does not preclude us from making appropriate effort to guard ourselves and our community.
Re: Schumer. He spoke at the DC rally in November and I did not hear him make any incendiary remarks.
I am referring to his speech last week, calling Netanyahu an obstacle to peace, and demanding new elections. His remarks have been condemned for interfering in another government's domestic affairs and stopping Israel from winning the war, as new elections mean that Israel's government would be in paralyzed for six months.
Appreciate your generosity to your shul and community. You have a gift you seem to use properly. Thanks
However it manifests, we must advocate for ourselves; when push comes to shove, no one else will.
Before Oct 7 occurred I would have said I could never have anything to do with guns. This article just changed my thinking. On the other hand, we lost a family member to suicide by gun violence, which is why I am posting anonymously. If I were ever to become a gun owner I would take this responsibility as seriously as it deserves to be taken.
A digestible "Mitzvot", nice guy!
I suppose the family member who died by suicide was pretty serious too.It wasn't the gun that was the problem there ,it was the intent behind it.And as we have not stood in their shoes we do not judge people who commit suicide.I'm sorry you suffered a loss in that way.
Yes, the intent certainly WAS the problem. Thank you to everyone who responded to my post.
First, I am so sorry you know the pain of losing somone that way. Please try to remember the good of them. Be blessed by their memory! I am so glad to know that you are open enough to think of the posibilty in todays reality of the probability of having to protect yourself &loved ones. I am incredibly proud of the fact you recognise the responsibility that comes with that! However you choose to protect yourself and others please let that recognition of responsibility guide you! Yes I am a bubby who has carried for years, been in jeapordy a few times& have never had to go to my last resort! My weapon is my last resort.Thank G-d! No, owning a weapon is not the only way to protect.Most important, however you choose, be comfortable. Be you!