SILVER SPRING (VINnews) — A federal judge on Thursday temporarily barred Montgomery County from enforcing its ban on firearms inside the Silver Spring Jewish Center, allowing the Orthodox congregation to use volunteer armed security during High Holiday services.
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Senior U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow issued the preliminary injunction one day before Rosh Hashanah. The order applies only to the synagogue and its members. It does not lift the county’s separate 100-yard buffer around places of public assembly, including houses of worship.
The New Civil Liberties Alliance filed the lawsuit in late July on behalf of the Silver Spring Jewish Center and Rabbi J. Menashe Shapiro. They challenged Expedited Bill 23-26, signed July 27 by County Executive Marc Elrich. The measure generally bars even licensed permit holders from carrying firearms inside or within 100 yards of designated “places of public assembly,” including synagogues. Exceptions include law enforcement and hired licensed security.
Chasanow found the plaintiffs were likely to succeed on claims that the indoor ban violates the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms and the First Amendment right to free exercise of religion. She did not rule on separate arguments under the Establishment Clause or equal protection.
County officials have said the ordinance was rewritten after a Maryland Supreme Court ruling and was meant to keep guns out of sensitive locations such as schools, parks and houses of worship. The congregation said professional armed guards are too costly for many shuls and that trained volunteer members should be allowed to protect worshippers amid a rise in antisemitic attacks.
The injunction is temporary. The case continues, and other houses of worship in the county remain subject to the ban. Rabbi Shapiro said the ruling arrived in time for High Holiday gatherings, when the congregation needed certainty about its own security arrangements.
This ruling makes sense. People have a right to protect themselves, especially in places of worship facing threats. The idea that a community should be disarmed when they gather for prayer is wrong.
what a disgusting chilil hashem. let the police take care of government. jews in gulis should never choose guns. we are am hanivchar exatly for this purpose.