On a recent Shabbat, my synagogue experienced something that more synagogues may eventually have to deal with: a so-called “First Amendment auditor.” Toward the end of Shabbat services, an average-looking middle-aged man appeared on the public sidewalk about 40 feet from our synagogue. He set up a tripod, attached his phone and began filming our building. A congregant noticed him and alerted our security guard, who went outside with our Facilities Operations Manager to see what was going on. They quickly learned that he wasn’t interested in explaining himself. He said only that he was there to film the building, that he was on public property and that he had a constitutional right to do so. Interestingly, he seemed more interested in asking our guard why he carried a firearm and who he worked for.

Over the next hour and a half, the man moved to several locations around the synagogue, always remaining on public property. He filmed the building, but he also filmed congregants and their vehicles as people left services. He never threatened anyone and never attempted to enter the property, but his presence understandably made people uncomfortable. That raised the larger question: what should a synagogue actually do in this situation?

First Amendment auditors are individuals who film police, government facilities, businesses and, increasingly, houses of worship to see how people react. Some consider themselves civil-rights activists. Others appear far more interested in provoking a confrontation that can later become online content and, in some cases, generate revenue. There is no evidence that First Amendment auditors as a group are an organized antisemitic or extremist movement. The ADL has noted that while some auditors have harassed synagogues, antisemitism is not a routine part of most........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)