NORTH MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – As Rosh Hashanah begins, a North Miami Beach community already on edge will notice an extra police presence.
"There will be enhanced patrols during the High Holidays," said Alvaro Zabaleta, a detective and spokesperson at the Miami-Dade Police Department, who is partnering with North Miami Beach Police and the Florida Highway Patrol.
"We will be deploying extra resources to our Orthodox Jewish communities in the Windward area and our reformed Jewish communities in the Highland Lakes area," he said.
Zabaleta explains this is a not an unusual practice. It's something they do every year because the religious tenants preclude the use of cell phones and pushing traffic control devices at intersections.
"Our goal is safety," Zabaleta said.
Geographically, the community is small.
"Within a one mile radius, we have a thousand families living here," said Yona Lunger, who told Local 10 News there are 11 orthodox temples in the area.
Lunger also pointed out the increased number of security cameras dotting the neighborhood as a result of recent incidents.
Back in July, a synagogue was vandalized with symbols of hate.
Then, two men shot and killed 60-year-old Rabbi Joseph Raksin when he was walking to a temple near Northeast 175th Street and Northeast Eighth Court.
"This entire block is covered by the cameras right here," Lunger said.
With the bombing of Islamic militant group ISIS, there are new warnings there may be retaliation in America.
"The affairs of the world infringe upon us so we pray for peace all over the entire world," said Rabbi David Lehrfield, who takes the incidents seriously but doesn't believe his community is being targeted and is urging families to go to services.
"You have to live a normal life. You can not live a life of fear," Lehrfield said. "This unfortunately is part of the world's wickedness that we hope will eventually disappear."
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