NYPD Assistant Chief of Intelligence and Counterterrorism John Hart also reassured the Jewish community. “Our message is that we do not have any specific and credible threats in NYC,” he said.
Schools across New York are also increasing security. Rabbi Hillel Lavery-Yisraëli told the New York Post his son’s school is not allowing children to go outside during breaks.
“Even though they have a totally fenced-in yard, the kids are spending the entire school day indoors,” he said. The school will be closed on Friday, alongside other schools and preschools across the city.
Michael Masters, head of the Secure Community Network, which works to protect Jewish institutions, told Jewish residents to continue to attend synagogue.
“Yes, we are in an elevated and protracted threatened environment, but we must not let the terrorists take away our confidence or ability to embrace our religion,” he said in a briefing yesterday.
At least 27 American citizens have been killed since the Hamas attacks last Saturday.
