Borderland Jewish community remains on edge after Colleyville synagogue standoff
EL PASO, Texas– After the hostage situation in Colleyville came to an end, the Jewish community in El Paso and across the world remained on edge.
The City of El Paso released a statement Sunday morning stating that officers are ready and available to respond to houses of worship in the event of an emergency.
— City of El Paso (@ElPasoTXGov) January 16, 2022
Stephen Leon, Emeritus Rabbi at local Congregation B'nai Zion, said that this situation was a traumatic experience for those affected in Colleyville, but has also left a sense of solidarity with other synagogues in Texas and throughout the nation.Â
Rabbi Leon said that his congregation already has security measures in place like cameras and security guards, but that due to this incident, they are in talks of increasing it.Â
He said that despite any violence, the jewish community is resilient.
“You cannot destroy, you can’t take away our lives, our lives are eternal, you may do a couple of acts that will hurt us but we’re a resilient people and we will continue to plant trees and in those trees we are going to plant seeds of love and justice and compassion in spite of whatever you try to do to us,” Rabbi Leon said.
