Creating a Security Shield for Our Community

Join us for a screening of HBO’s powerful documentary, A Tree of Life: The Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting, followed by a panel discussion to learn how security training saved lives that day. 

This program is held in partnership with HBO and Secure Community Network (SCN). SCN is the official safety and security organization for the Jewish community in North America, formed under the auspices of The Jewish Federations of North America and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.

 Sunday, March 9^th
3 pm
Held at Temple Israel, 14 Coleytown Road, Westport 

TALKBACK FOLLOWING SCREENING

Meet Our Panel:

Stephen Weiss was in the Tree of Life Synagogue building on October 27, 2018, when a gunman entered and killed 11 worshipers and wounded two worshipers and four police officers. He was employed at the Tree of Life Congregation for more than 30 years, serving as the Ritual Director, Youth Director, Executive Director, Teacher, Educational Director, B’nai Mitzvah instructor, Cantor, and even filled in for the rabbi during his tenure there. Stephen and his wife of 40+ years have two sons. He retired from the Pittsburgh Public Schools in 2020 after teaching middle-school science for more than 26 years. In June 2020, he moved from Pittsburgh to the small community of Lebanon, PA, where he currently serves on the Board of Trustees and chairs the Security Committee at the only synagogue in the community. 
 

Bradley W. Orsini joined the Secure Community Network (SCN) as Senior National Security Advisor in January 2020. In his role, Bradley provides security consultations, training, and direct response to critical incidents to Jewish communities across North America. From January 2017 to January 2020, he served the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh as its first Director of Community Security. Bradley developed a communal security program that provided security consultations, training/drills, and threat mitigation to over 60 organizations and more than 16,000 individuals. Prior to this post, he served as a Special Agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation for 28 years and was on active duty as an officer in the United States Marine Corps.  Bradley earned a Bachelor of Science in Administration of Justice from the Pennsylvania State University.

Pete Lavelle, serves as the Federation's Community Security Directory, the primary security liaison for Jewish institutions in our 15-community service area, overseeing the safety and security of approximately 30,000 Jewish residents and two dozen organizations and facilities across the region. Pete administers security programs for the Federation, provides security consultations, conducts building assessments, leads training exercises, mitigates threats to Jewish organizations, and coordinates responses to critical incidents. Before joining SCN, Pete served as a Special Agent in the FBI’s New Haven Division for 32 years, specializing in high-risk national security investigations. He was also a certified FBI Undercover Agent, an instructor at the FBI Undercover Certification School, and a lecturer at international law-enforcement forums. He was an operator on the FBI’s SWAT team, a Primary Defensive Tactics Instructor, and a liaison with the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime. After retiring from the FBI, Pete worked as a Police Inspector with the New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office, collaborating with prosecutors and local law enforcement on violent-crime investigations. 

Bryan Bierman has been an integral part of the Temple Israel community since 2012 and has served as Executive Director since 2021. With a background in youth development, social work, and nonprofit management, he brings extensive experience from roles at the New England Adolescent Research Institute, YMCA camps, and international sports organizations, including the Maccabiah Games. A recognized leader in security, Bryan has grown Temple Israel into a national gold standard for security practices, fostering strong partnerships with local and federal agencies. A dedicated community advocate, he has served on the Federation of Greater Fairfield County board, led PEP-RJ, and is currently on the Board of the CT FBI Citizens Academy. Bryan and his wife, Emily, share a passion for youth engagement and Jewish values, raising their children, Ava and Everett, with the same commitment to community.

Marc H. Silverman, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut, joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in 2010, and most recently served as First Assistant U.S. Attorney. From 2022 to 2024, he was Chief of the Criminal Division, and from 2014 to 2022, he served as Deputy Chief of the Office’s Appellate Division. Mr. Silverman is a graduate of Yale University and Yale Law School. Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mr. Silverman was an Arthur Liman Public Interest Fellow at Advocates for Children of New York, Inc.; in private practice; and a law clerk for Judge Kimba M. Wood of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and Judge Dennis Jacobs of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.