“I’m not approaching this as a community advocate,” Goldenberg told the JC. “I come from policing, and I happen to be Jewish. That gives me a dual lens on these issues.”
After an initial stop in Berlin, where the delegates signed a declaration committing to strengthen early-threat detection and intelligence-sharing, among other things, the group travelled to Poland where they joined the March of the Living on Yom Hazikaron.
[Missing Credit]
Goldenberg developed the idea about six years ago through the March of the Living and with former New Jersey Attorney General John Farmer.
“We recognised that policing was a missing component in Holocaust education,” he told the JC. “If the lesson is ‘never again,’ then law enforcement must be part of that commitment.
“The central idea is straightforward: policing plays a critical role in sustaining democratic values, and when that role breaks down, the consequences can be catastrophic.
“The Holocaust is the clearest example of what happens when policing institutions fail either by stepping aside or becoming instruments of the state. When police are no longer independent, vulnerable communities lose their last line of protection. That lesson is not historical, it’s highly relevant today.”
Representatives of forces from across the US, Europe and beyond marched alongside Holocaust survivors, victims of recent terror attacks and around 7,000 other participants from as far afield as Argentina and Australia.
Among those they met with was Yoni Finlay, a congregant at Heaton Park shul, who had to undergo emergency surgery after he was hit by a stray bullet during the police operation to neutralise the Yom Kippur attacker.
Goldenberg said: “These were not abstract discussions; they were first-hand accounts of what targeted violence does to individuals and communities. Many senior officers left those sessions visibly shaken.”
Particularly significant was a large delegation of police who attended from Germany, including Jochen Kopelke, who chairs the German Police Union and is also president of the Federation of European Police Unions. Among the many other countries there were representatives from Nigeria, Denmark, Estonia, Canada, Hungry, Holland, Mexico, Sweden.
Disappointingly there was no British representation. Goldenberg said they repeatedly approached the Met but thinks their invitation did not reach the right people.
“There’s significant turnover in large agencies like the Met, and key contacts often move on before relationships can be established,” he said.
His comments came just days after Britain’s most senior police officer, Sir Mark Rowley, heavily criticised Green leader Zack Polanski for posting “misinformed commentary” over the arrest of Golders Green terror suspect. Polanski later apologised for his post.
Goldenberg co-founded the Secure Community Network, America’s equivalent of the CST, with whom he worked closely to develop the organisation. He said of the climate in Britain: “The UK has one of the strongest communal security models in the diaspora through the Community Security Trust, which works closely with law enforcement. That partnership remains a real strength.”
Paul Goldenberg[Missing Credit]
Yet the problem with policing antisemitism is likely to come from higher up, he believes.
“The police powers come from what is mandated by those in political power, and if those in political power don’t quite understand the seriousness of the situation – that when one of your precious British religious communities feel in jeopardy and are considering leaving the country – that is a threat to the country’s democracy and a threat to the threat to its future.
“It is a canary in a coal mine. And if that canary dies, that means the air is already poisoned.”
At the same time, Goldenberg believes Jewish people also have a responsibility. “Communities must project strength and resilience,” he said.
“History has shown that when any group is consistently framed, or begins to see itself as a victim class, it can unintentionally reinforce vulnerability.”
He added: “The message should be clear: Jewish communities, like all communities in democratic societies, are not outsiders – they are integral to the fabric of those nations. When they are targeted, it is not just an attack on a minority group, it is an attack on the principles of the society itself.”
