(JTA) — Special phones that connect instantly to emergency services are being offered to New York City synagogues in the wake of a rise in anti-Semitic incidents in the city.
The phones, dubbed “shul phones,” are being offered by the Shomrim, a volunteer Jewish neighborhood patrol, the New York Post reported.
The phone will allow callers to press one button to be connected to 911, the local Shomrim or the Hatzolah ambulance service. In addition to being a quick way to connect to emergency services, the phone would be available on Shabbat, when most Jewish people do not carry their cell phones and synagogue land lines are locked away.
Some 200 synagogues have expressed interest in the special phone, according to the Post, citing a Shomrim supervisor. They will be sold at cost, expected to be under $200, according to the report.
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