It used to be that you might see security guards at large Jewish community events. That changed with the 2018 mass shooting at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life center, in which 11 people were murdered during Shabbat services. Now, most Jewish events, large and small, have security detail — many times, armed — and many synagogues have armed security regularly.
The idea of guns in a synagogue once seemed out of place — incongruous with the peace-loving, life-affirming ideals of Judaism. But now, guns — in the right hands — are considered a necessity by many Jewish organizations.
One of them is Boulder’s Adventure Rabbi, a “synagogue without walls” founded in 2001. The concept of Adventure Rabbi is to experience Judaism while experiencing nature — in a park, on the ski slopes, at the base of a mountain or on the mountaintop.
Sometimes, however, Adventure Rabbi events and programs, such as religious school classes and Yom Kippur services, need to take place indoors. For 17 years, Adventure Rabbi opted to hold those classes and services in rented Boulder Valley School District facilities — an elementary school — for religious school one Sunday a month and a middle school with a large auditorium for Yom Kippur services.
Adventure Rabbi Founder Rabbi Emerita Jamie Korngold recently stepped away from administrative and weekly religious leadership, but will continue to lead Passover seders in Moab, Utah, and High Holidays in Boulder.
The uptick in anti-Semitic violence and terrorist acts, specifically the June 1, 2025 Run for Their Lives firebombing on Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall, has made her and other Adventure Rabbi leadership insist on armed security, a policy that is facing a major challenge.
The convenience of a public-school location may clash with security policies of the school district, and eventually lead Adventure Rabbi to consider other locations.
“Boulder Valley School District has a no-guns-on-their-property policy,” Korngold says. “So we were prohibited from having security at our religious school, and, unfortunately, the people that want to kill us don’t abide by BVSD rules and we really need to have an armed guard.”
Adventure Rabbi holds its classes on Sundays, when there are no students or faculty in the school building.
Korngold, along with Gov. Jared Polis, studied relevant Colorado Revised Statutes, including C.R.S. 18-12-105.5.
Korngold says, “The statute allows for individuals — whether private security professionals or others — to be lawfully armed on school property if they are authorized by the school district or governing body.
“This is a critical distinction. While law enforcement officers are universally permitted, districts do retain discretion to authorize armed private security personnel under current Colorado law.”
Polis and Korngold concluded that it is legal to have armed security at a public school, but Boulder Valley School District’s own policy prohibits it. Adventure Rabbi is requesting an exemption.
Adventure Rabbi is not allowed to hired an armed security professional from a private company, but may hire off-duty law enforcement officers, who are armed, to guard their school. However, the Boulder Police Dept. often faces a staffing shortage and the availability of an off-duty officer is not known until shortly before classes begin.
Adventure Rabbi Executive Director and Educator Rebecca Shavit-Lonstein confronted this problem on Dec. 14, the day of the Bondi Beach, Australia mass shooting. She had Adventure Rabbi’s Chanukah celebration and outdoor menorah lighting scheduled later that day at the elementary school.
As the time of the program grew closer, she feared there would be no off-duty officer available. With trepidation, she proceeded with the Chanukah program, but moved it indoors. At the last minute, an officer picked up the shift.
“It seems sometimes that our safety is at the whim of an off-duty officer,” Shavit-Lonstein says.
BVDS spokesperson Randy Barber issued the followed statement in response to an inquiry from the Intermountain Jewish News:
“In the Boulder Valley School District, the safety of our students, staff and community is a top priority.
“We also recognize the increased safety concerns faced by our Jewish community following unsettling anti-Semitic attacks in Boulder and beyond, and are doing whatever we can to support impacted students.
“While Colorado state law (C.R.S. 18-12-105.5) does allow for school districts to authorize armed individuals on school grounds under certain conditions, BVSD has not adopted a policy that allows for private armed security personnel on our campuses or at school-sponsored events.
“We are continuing to work with Adventure Rabbi to address their specific concerns and to seek solutions that are mutually agreeable.”
Adventure Rabbi faced the same issue with the City of Boulder, which prohibits armed security in its open spaces, such as parks and the Pearl Street Mall. Adventure Rabbi often holds Friday night services in parks. Korngold and Shavit-Lonstein were able to work with the city and procure an exemption for Adventure Rabbi.
In the meantime, Shavit-Lonstein — cognizant that such a policy change in their favor would need to go through the school board — is considering the option of moving classes and services to a school outside BVDS or a smaller private school without such a no-guns policy.
© IJN 2026