Under-vestment holsters aren’t likely to become de rigueur anytime soon, but the recent spate of violence has so shaken religious leaders that they are hiring security officers, developing and updating emergency preparedness plans, distributing security resource guides to members, and attending classes on how to respond if the unthinkable — or what used to be the unthinkable — happens. The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia hired its first-ever director of security in June, a former special agent with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, who will be available to help synagogues prepare for emergencies. In December, a newly formed security committee will convene.

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