From protecting oneself to protecting one’s synagogue, Jews are preparing themselves.
Legion trains people in Krav Maga, active shooter, sudden confrontations, situational awareness, emergency first aid, and more. “We doubled our numbers immediately following 10/7,” said Meredith Weiss, Legion Co-founder and Chair of the Board.
Legion “partners with the best schools, and therefore instruction is world-renowned.” The owners of their schools are most of the time the head instructors leading their training programs.
Legion is a non-profit that gets funding from private individuals. They have classes in Brooklyn and Manhattan but there is a fee for their classes. Go to legionalpha.com for more information.
Queens-based Gary Moskowitz trains civilians in martial arts, to be First Responders, and how to deal with active shooters.
Moskowitz was an NYPD Officer for nine years. He has Black Belts in Judo, Hapkido, Ju-Jitsu, and Karate. He also has s’michah from Rabbi Yaakov Spivak at Kollel Ayshel Avraham in Monsey.
Some of his tips for dealing with an active shooter are:
Sirens and 5,000-lumen lights can throw a shooter off balance. The lights “fit in your hand and blinds them for a second, and then other people can throw 3-5-pound weights.” “Weights have stopping power.” Dumbbells can be kept near where people sit.