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VIDEO SURVEILLANCE Concern about violence leads Ashland synagogues to use video systems Concern about violence leads synagogues to use video systems Comment By John Darling For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Jul. 5, 2015 at 3:36 PM Updated Jul 5, 2015 at 3:37 PM By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Jul. 5, 2015 at 3:36 PM Updated Jul 5, 2015 at 3:37 PM » Social News Although there have been no recent attacks on houses of worship in the Rogue Valley, some are installing video surveillance systems to monitor who comes and goes, as well as a panic button that alerts police that something threatening may be happening. Prompted by the killing of nine people at a black church in Charleston, S.C., and several church arsons in the South since then, Ashland’s Havurah Shir Hadash has installed a camera system at its doors, creating a record of who entered the building. It also installed a panic button to alert Ashland police if someone enters and poses a threat, said Rabbi David Zaslow. Unlike earlier videotape cameras, the digital cameras are unobtrusive, only an inch wide. But appearances were not what concerned one member, Ariella St. Clair, who voiced her concern on Facebook. “I am pretty upset. I think it's bad enough that we are being videoed at every store and street corner,” she wrote. “We've become a nation full of fear. Has any video camera ever stopped a killer or a thief? I don't think so. Would a video camera have kept the 9 people in South Carolina from being killed? Would one have kept the churches that burned this week from being torched?” St. Clair said the surveillance smacks of George Orwell’s dystopian “1984” and asked if Americans are willing to give up their freedoms to be safe from terrorism. It’s not appropriate for people going to worship to be kept under surveillance, she said. Responding to the posting, Zaslow agreed such cameras are unlikely to prevent most attacks by hate-driven bigots or crazed gunmen, but said it would help identify offenders, thus protecting others. “It’s sad to me even to need this,” he said, “but religious institutions are more vulnerable than ever to vandalism and criminal acts. … There’s been an uptick in attacks, generally from extremist groups of both the right and left.” Although Orwell, when he published his 1949 novel, didn’t have technology much beyond the radio and telephone, today’s technology and greatly increased recording and transmission of daily events “are capturing images of criminals and police brutality as it happens," Zaslow said.  "This is not ‘1984,’" he said. "It’s protection for the innocent.” St. Clair, in an interview, disagreed. “I see it as overkill," she said. "I’m uncomfortable with it, even if no one views it or it’s not saved on file. There is no privacy anymore, and everyone is afraid of their neighbors. It’s a sad state, where the country is going.” Temple Emek Shalom in Ashland has a similar security system, says Rabbi Joshua Boettiger, adding the events in Charleston “are making us reassess what we have and take extra steps to be more secure and to address it with other congregations.” The Temple, he adds, wants to head off “heightened anxiety and fearfulness” while seeking to avoid making anyone feel excluded. “We do this with a feeling of sadness that we live in an age where you see terrible tragedies like this unfold,” Boettiger said. “The nine souls killed in Charleston are our brothers and sisters doing what we do — getting together to study the Bible. It hits extra close to home and is heartbreaking.” The Rev. Norma Burton, who leads services for her Unity of Ashland church in the Havurah synagogue, said she and her staff were trained in the system and how it controls locks and alarms. “They (Havurah) were having issues that made them feel the importance of knowing who is coming and going. It’s been controversial and more difficult to work with but I understand their point of view.” In Medford, the Cornerstone Christian Church has not altered security and, says Senior Pastor Stan Way, “We haven’t thought about any immediate threat." "That’s not to say it couldn’t happen," Way said. "If anyone totally new and looking suspicious came in and started acting oddly, the ushers would keep an eye on them. Very occasionally, someone may come in drunk or on drugs, but the ushers ask them outside for a talk.” Zion Lutheran Church in Medford suffered significant damage from an arson in July 2013. Witnesses saw two men throw what appeared to be a Molotov cocktail into vegetation outside the church, which caught fire and spread to the building. No one was arrested for the crime and the motive remains unknown. Reach Ashland freelance writer John Darling at [email protected].   By John Darling For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Jul. 5, 2015 at 3:36 PM Updated Jul 5, 2015 at 3:37 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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