Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle

Submitted by Ynnatchkah (United States), Feb 26, 2008 at 02:53

In 2001 I volunteered to the Jewish federation of Greater Seattle in the food bank, some administrative issues, following by volunteering for a couple of months in the office, assistance and translation services in its office (Jewish family Service) in Bellevue.

It is interesting that when studying in Seattle and as usual, in College having huge problems with the MSA, in the following years, I was told by a teacher and a journalism student - born in America_ that I should never panic, no matter how bad my situation would get in that environment b/c Seattle was probably the calmest place in the US, spiritually blessed, with bucolic people, loving bystanders, and a place "gloomily" sweet, for to say. The Seattle people still had in their hearts the 60s peace and love, so he considered almost impossible to happen any terrorist attack in there...How ludicrous...

Years later the place where I volunteered was attacked by this Muslim, and the local rabbi said that the Tacoma synagogue received a call saying that a Muslim was intending to throw a truck carrying gas, as a suicide attack against the Jewish temple...That's what I was told at the Seattle shull, still in 2002.

What I kept in my heart was that indeed, there were mostly very loving and caring women working at the JFS in Seattle, and what scared me most, having volunteered to Jewish centers abroad, was that there was no security at all. It was a huge peace of cake to get into the building, where then you would find some cameras, but no guards or barrier made by concrete was ever implemented in front of the center, just in case a car bomb would decide to park in there, very unlike in my country where to every place there are guards, starting to few blocks ahead, barriers made by concrete, blinded windows and other features...Looks like many in the Jewish community in America still live in the La, La Land, betting on the expression: Put in the hands of G-s..He protects....

How many centers still hold the G-d protects us all? Even the new masque being built in my neighborhood (my disgrace), has a good structure that makes very difficult a suicide attack as I watch- perhaps b/c they know only muslims do that-the house of the mahjid- as they announce in advance.

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