CJCS

RG-1 Police
RG-1.01 Understanding the Jewish Calendar: Faith, Rhythm, and Response
Duration: 30–45 minutes
Focus: Cultural and operational awareness
Overview:
Police often interact with Jewish communities during holidays, fast days, or Shabbat observance. This session explains how the Jewish calendar functions (lunar-solar cycle), how holidays impact public gatherings, and why certain times (e.g., Friday sunset to Saturday nightfall) limit communication or travel.
Key outcomes:
• Recognize major holidays and their implications for scheduling or operational planning.
• Understand Sabbath observance and its effect on cooperation and response.
• Learn sensitivity around ritual objects, attire, and terminology.
RG-1.02 Synagogues, Schools, and Sacred Spaces: Jewish Community Infrastructure
Duration: 45–60 minutes
Focus: Situational and site awareness
Overview:
A guided overview of Jewish institutional layouts — synagogues, schools, mikva’ot (ritual baths), and community centers. Participants learn how these spaces function socially and spiritually, and how police presence can be supportive without intrusion.
Key outcomes:
• Identify typical building patterns and entry points for security coordination.
• Learn respectful protocols when entering during prayer or education sessions.
• Understand who holds authority within Jewish institutions (rabbis, presidents, security chairs).
RG-1.03 Responding with Respect: Interacting with Observant Jews
Duration: 20–30 minutes
Focus: Operational etiquette and communication
Overview:
Practical guidance on interactions involving modesty, physical contact, language, and religious articles (e.g., tallit, tefillin, mezuzah). Includes discussion of gender norms, kosher food, and Shabbat-compliant procedures.
Key outcomes:
• Engage respectfully with Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform Jews.
• Handle sensitive incidents (e.g., hate graffiti, protests) with cultural competence.
• Avoid common pitfalls that unintentionally cause offense or distress.
RG-1.04 Antisemitism Awareness and Hate Symbol Recognition
Duration: 45–60 minutes
Focus: Bias awareness and crime recognition
Overview:
An evidence-based session on modern antisemitism in Canada. Officers learn to recognize antisemitic symbols, coded language, vandalism patterns, and online hate networks. Emphasizes investigative standards under Canadian hate crime law.
Key outcomes:
• Identify antisemitic symbols, dog whistles, and conspiracy narratives.
• Understand the emotional and historical context of Jewish-targeted hate.
• Apply appropriate sections of the Criminal Code of Canada when responding to hate-motivated crimes.
RG-1.05 Community Partnership and Trust-Building: Lessons from Jewish History
Duration: 30–45 minutes
Focus: Historical empathy and relationship-building
Overview:
Explores the Jewish historical experience of law enforcement — from European ghetto policing to North American community partnerships. Encourages reflection on how respectful engagement and transparency build long-term trust.
Key outcomes:
• Develop empathy through historical understanding of minority–police relations.
• Identify strategies for visible, responsive, and trusted policing within Jewish communities.
• Reinforce Canada’s multicultural and Charter-based policing principles.