Lox & Loaded: Antisemitism spurs Jewish gun club, despite strict NY laws

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00:00We have some of the highest rates of anti-Semitism in the country.

00:05Being Jewish, I have to fear for my life every day, wherever I go.

00:11At a gun range in a suburb of New York City,

00:14Jay Werner and a growing number of other Jewish people

00:17are honing their shooting skills through a club called Locks and Loaded.

00:25With more than 20 chapters nationwide, including three near New York City,

00:30the club bills itself as Jewish-owned and operated.

00:34It formed in response to rising anti-Semitism in America

00:37and the October 7, 2023 terrorist attacks in Israel.

00:42Anti-Semitism has shaped the lives of members like Werner,

00:45who still recalls an incident that happened when he was 12.

00:49And I got jumped from behind by two guys who beat the snot out of me,

00:53called me a dirty Jew, didn't steal anything,

00:55just beat the snot out of me and walked away.

00:57Do I recognize that there is absolutely a threat out there of anti-Semitism

01:01and it's growing exponentially on a daily basis?

01:05Yes, I do.

01:06Do I think that Jews should learn how to defend themselves?

01:10Absolutely.

01:11Is owning a firearm and learning how to use a firearm part of that?

01:15Absolutely as well.

01:16Last year marked the second highest year for hate crimes

01:21since the FBI started tracking such offenses in 1991.

01:25Though Jewish people account for just 2% of the U.S. population,

01:29the FBI's 2024 report said 70% of hate crimes were anti-Semitic attacks.

01:35After October 7th, not only myself, but everybody in operations

01:40and everybody with the company felt the need to do something,

01:44to physically and mentally help the community, help other people.

01:49And instead of donating money or volunteering,

01:54it was a thought, being a firearms instructor,

01:57why not train?

01:59Why not help facilitate the training of people in the community?

02:02Why not make it easy for people in the community and allies

02:07to get proper, safe training?

02:11New Yorkers face some of the strictest gun laws in the nation.

02:15Just last month, a federal appeals court upheld a ban

02:18on carrying firearms in so-called sensitive areas of New York City,

02:22like the subway or Times Square.

02:25And Jewish Americans are less likely to own guns

02:27than those of other faiths.

02:29A 2018 poll found 70% of Jewish people surveyed said

02:33gun control outweighed the right to bear arms.

02:37Locks and Loaded has experienced some pushback.

02:40Locks and Loaded spokesperson Ian Friedman told Straight Arrow News,

02:43quote,

02:44There are people who post anonymous comments from time to time

02:47who are critical of the organization

02:49for reasons that vary from opposition to firearms

02:52all the way to the other side,

02:54which is blatant anti-Semitism.

02:56Freedman added the club expected challenges,

03:00but is meant to empower everyone in the Jewish community.

03:04For more in-depth reporting,

03:06head to san.com or download the Straight Arrow News app.

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