Surfside, FL – Security has been stepped up in Surfside, Florida after a video with Arabic subtitles taken outside a local synagogue has surfaced on TikTok.
According to Surfside Mayor Shlomo Danzinger, the video was taken on October 2nd at a Simchas Beis Hashoeiva celebration taking place outside The The Shul of Bal Harbour, located on Collins Avenue at 95th Street. Surfside officials recently became aware of the clip and are taking it very seriously in light of this past weekend’s terror attack.
“We can’t be complacent,” Danzinger told VIN News. “To have someone walking through a crowd filming, what does that mean?”
The clip begins with footage filmed as 26 Sushi & Tapas, one of several kosher restaurants located on nearby Harding Avenue.
The video then switches to Chol Hamoed Succos festivities outside The Shul, showing men, women and children enjoying inflatable rides, face painting and other activities. Zooming in momentarily on Rabbi Shalom Lispkar, founder of The Shul, the footage displays an Arabic caption reportedly describing the 77 year old as “their rabbi” and ends with a map of the area, showing the popular synagogue and several kosher restaurants.
Security has been beefed up in Surfside in the wake of the carnage in Israel. Surfside has close ties with Israel after Israel Defense Forces teams were deployed to the city to aid in the rescue and recovery efforts after the Champlain Towers collapse in June 2021.
Local officials approved a measure to make Surfside and Shomron, Israel, sister cities in October 2022 as a gesture of gratitude for Israel’s assistance during the Florida crisis.
After word of the terror attack in Israel broke over the weekend, Danzinger called additional security into the area on Simchas Torah to provide congregants a sense of safety so that they could have their final hakafah of the day outside on Collins Avenue, as is their usual custom.
“I did have to get on the phone to coordinate with police,” said Danzinger. “They know not to call me on a holiday unless there is an emergency so I told them, ‘You understand what it means that I am calling you today – what is going on here, and the fear.’ They set up a perimeter and a plan because the community was scared.”
A statement released by the Surfside Police Department on October 9th indicated that it was well aware of the video and its content, and was taking appropriate precautions.
“Please rest assured that we are actively investigating this matter to ensure the safety and security of our community,” read the statement. “Your safety is our priority. We will keep you updated on any developments.”
