Amid rise in antisemitism, he’s bridging gap between first responders, Jewish communities

When Larry Glickman served as executive director of a 1,000-household synagogue back in 2013, the congregation would hire security to help with the High Holy Days and occasionally for major events.

“Now, most congregations have security at least every week for Shabbat, if not security posted at the doors whenever the synagogue is open, if not having security on site at all times,” Glickman told us this week.

It’s that change, amid a rising tide in antisemitic violence and hate crimes in recent years, that led Glickman to found JCAT (Jewish Community Awareness Training) Partners.

The Lincolnshire-based business works with law enforcement, first responders, security firms and others to provide them with a better understanding of Jewish culture and the people they’re tasked with protecting.

Glickman last week spoke to law enforcement leaders from across the region at the Midwest Security & Police Conference/Expo in Tinley Park, and this week addressed a smaller group of first responders at the Northeastern Illinois Public Safety Training Academy in Glenview.

“As with any distinct culture or tradition, the more that we understand it, the better we can protect it,” Glickman said. “Our safety and security partners want to do well by us, and they want to do a good job. There are lots of ways to enhance the protection (they) provide with just a little more insight about who we are and the way that we live our lives.”

Glickman has been working in the Jewish community for more than 30 years, beginning as a part-time educator then spending a decade as a synagogue executive director. Before launching JCAT, he served as director of synagogue outreach for Secure Community Network, which works with hundreds of Jewish communities across North America on safety and security issues.

It was in that role, Glickman said, that he recognized a gap in the training law enforcement professionals receive in working with the Jewish community. JCAT was his solution to fill it.

“What are our concerns, and what informs the way that we live our lives and behave? All of these things and more were just things that I thought that would be a valuable extra piece in the training that security and law enforcement would receive,” he said.

Patrick Collins, deputy director of the Northeastern Illinois Public Safety Training Academy, said those who attended Glickman’s session Wednesday came away with a better understanding of the Jewish citizens they serve.

“They’re going to be more aware of those cultural dynamics,” he said.

Glickman acknowledges he’s not a security expert, and his presentations don’t focus on the ins and outs of protecting houses of worship or community gatherings.

Instead, his focus is teaching first responders and others about the cultures and traditions of the Jewish community, and how those norms and expectations may inform their interactions. For example, he said, a person from a traditional or Orthodox denomination may respond differently to an outreached hand than someone from a more contemporary or liberal congregation, and that difference could lead to a misunderstanding.

“Our security partners owe it to themselves, I think, to do whatever they can to develop a relationship with the Jewish organizations that they protect,” Glickman said. “One that's built on a deeper level of understanding, and from that will come deeper engagement as well.”

New trial ordered

A Villa Park man serving an 18-year sentence on charges stemming from a violent 2021 home invasion will receive a new trial because the judge presiding over his case wouldn’t let him act as his own attorney.

The 3rd District Appellate Court of Illinois this week overturned the conviction of Timothy Jackson, ruling that he was denied his constitutional right to represent himself at his 2024 trial.

Jackson, 34, was charged with aggravated unlawful restraint in October 2021, after prosecutors alleged he followed his ex-girlfriend into her Wheaton home, hit her in the head with a gun, held a pillow over her face and threatened to kill her, court documents state. He later was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon.

At one point, he had a private defense lawyer. But when that attorney quit, Jackson told a judge in August 2022 that he wanted to represent himself. He told the court he had a high school diploma and had been studying in the DuPage County jail’s law library.

But Judge Margaret O’Connell denied the request and appointed a public defender. Court transcripts show she expressed concern about Jackson’s ability to defend himself in court.

“You’ve got too much at risk here,” she said, according to court papers. “I can’t — I cannot in good conscience allow you to waive your right to counsel. The fact that you have a high school education and you have been in the law library a couple of times just isn’t sufficient for you to have the background necessary to be effective in these legal proceedings.”

In its ruling this week, the appeals court said that isn’t justification to deny a person’s rights.

“A defendant’s lack of legal knowledge and ability is not a valid basis for denying his request for self-representation,” wrote Justice William Holdridge.

That can only be denied if a defendant cannot understand the consequences of their decisions, or the court believes they will be unruly, obstructionist or intent on stalling the proceedings.

A new trial date for Jackson has not been set.

copsandcrime@dailyherald.com