Chairman of 'Shomrim': "One Night I Encountered a Burglar Up Close and Realized Bnei Brak Needs a Guard Organization"

Our conversation with Haim Rotter, the chairman of the 'Shomrim' organization, is intermittently interrupted. Although he is pleased to talk to us, his primary commitment is to the updates arriving on a special device he holds. These updates come constantly.

The members of the 'Shomrim' organization perform activities similar to those of the Israeli Police, but unlike the police, they operate entirely on a voluntary basis. Over the years, the organization has become a formidable force against criminals, law violators, and thieves operating throughout Bnei Brak and its surroundings.

Rotter recalls the initial days of the organization's establishment: "The decision to start it came after one night when I returned home late after completing volunteer hours at Sheba Medical Center. Upon arriving at my building, I found a man who appeared robust and threatening at the entrance. My suspicion was immediately aroused. The man was wandering inside the building, and despite the natural apprehension to engage with him, I decided to approach him and asked if he needed help. He tried to evade, and at a certain point even began to flee the scene.

"In an inexplicable way to this day, I decided to chase after him. I managed to catch up with him, apprehended him, and it turned out he was in possession of thousands of shekels. I handed him, along with the cash, over to the police. It was later revealed that the money belonged to one of the neighbors on the street, whose house he had 'visited' earlier.

"That incident clarified to me the necessity of establishing an organization that would combat crime in the city, and from this story, the renowned 'Shomrim' organization was born. And the rest is history."

A Modest Beginning

"The beginning was modest," Rotter recalls. "Initially, I operated almost alone, and over time, more members began joining when they heard about the organization, after the information spread by word of mouth. In the next phase, we began confronting thieves as a group, which added to the deterrence and efficiency of the apprehensions on the ground. Subsequently, special communication devices were acquired, and over time the organization evolved into what it is today."

What do 'Shomrim' do exactly?

"Firstly, it's important to understand that we operate according to requests from Bnei Brak residents. They call us and alert us to different events throughout the city, and often even outside it. On our part, we assist them in maintaining law and order throughout Bnei Brak, with all that this entails.

"If we translate this into events," Rotter continues, "we see that in practice, the requests that come to us span a wide range of incidents that require our intervention. From thefts, which occur especially in the middle of the night; to inquiries about the identities of suspects seen in the vicinity, sometimes even before they commit an offense; and other types of offenses, similar to everything a regular police force handles."

Rotter notes that he is closely familiar with the 'Hidabrut' organization. In response to our query, he explains that in cases involving Arabs approaching Jewish women, or various intermarriage cases, his organization collaborates closely with 'Hidabrut' to bring about a positive outcome. "They do amazing work," he says.

What does your daily routine look like?

"In practice, I am involved in the organization’s work 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Besides the regular supervision of the organization, in many cases, volunteers on the ground need my consultation, especially during more significant events, which can happen even at four in the morning. I don't think there's been one night where I've slept peacefully in recent years. In some cases, I can manage the event through the radio device - my Mirs, but there are cases where I also need to get out of bed and go on-site. Generally, the Mirs is with me every moment, and if there is an event that I need to be informed about, I immediately hear the updates from the field."

One of the cases that required Rotter's involvement occurred recently when the organization's volunteers arrested two suspects who stole a pair of electric bicycles. The suspects began attacking the volunteers to free themselves and flee: "In this case, I was able to manage the event from home. I ensured additional forces were dispatched to the field, and the additional forces that arrived managed to subdue the thieves."

How many calls do you receive a day?

"On average, we receive about 60 calls a day. However, there are days when the number of calls is significantly higher. Recently we added more volunteers to respond to calls coming into the 'Shomrim' center, and their number has increased from seven to twelve. It's important to note that our dispatchers provide a round-the-clock response, 24 hours a day. The calls are answered by approximately two hundred volunteers who operate throughout Bnei Brak as a particularly efficient security force."

"Regarding the deployment of volunteers," Rotter says, "the advantage is that Bnei Brak is a relatively small city, making it easier to quickly get from place to place. Among the volunteers are married individuals, there are also avreichim who study most of the day and cooperate with us when there's a call, and there are also a few young men. Interestingly, despite our activity not generally being armed, some volunteers carry weapons."

Do you have any authority?

"Definitely. According to Section 75 of the Criminal Procedure Law (Enforcement Authority - Arrests), we can use force and arrest individuals. This authority does not specifically pertain to us as an organization but to anyone who sees a suspect and can detain them until the police arrive.

"And since I mentioned the police, it's important to note that they operate alongside us and assist us, and we also assist them. Often, it is the police that contact us with updates about missing persons or suspects who need to be dealt with."

How do you catch the suspects?

"It's not uncommon for callers to ring us while the thief is still in the area. In such cases, everything is obviously easier. Our volunteers, who are spread across the city, quickly reach the location, and we catch the thief or current criminal and hand him over to the police.

"There are also cases where we have to use different methods, like reviewing security cameras to trace the potential suspect's identity. And there are cases where we operate through ambushes. Such an ambush was conducted very recently. It happened in central Bnei Brak. We set up organized ambushes at various points in the city during the night, and through them, we managed to reach the man after he attempted to break into a store in central Bnei Brak. After his arrest, the rate of thefts in the city significantly decreased."

Have you arrested suspects who turned out to be a mistake?

"Anyone can make a mistake," Rotter sighs. "But if we reach a point where it turns out we mistakenly suspected someone, we approach them and apologize. Such incidents can happen, unfortunately.

"On the one hand," Rotter notes, "it’s quite natural to suspect someone who makes a dubious impression and is carrying a bicycle late at night. Such an incident happened recently. Our volunteers approached him and investigated where the keys that start the bike were, but he had none to present, and he turned out to be a thief. Here, they acted delicately, checking whether he had keys and then made sure to stop him – precisely because of this concern.

"But there are cases where it turns out that the alertness did not result in catching a thief but led to an unpleasant incident. Like the case where we were called to a residential building in the city after neighbors reported a person entering a house through the window. We arrived, knocked on the door, and then found out it was an honest man, the homeowner, who left his keys inside. In such a case, we apologize and immediately leave the area."

What do you do when a halachic question arises concerning the organization's activities, for example, regarding activities on Shabbat?

"For any question, we turn to the rabbi who accompanies the organization, Rabbi Broida. We consult with him regularly. Specifically, regarding activities on Shabbat, if it involves a break-in into a house, or missing individuals, we, of course, act, and it is permitted to desecrate Shabbat for such events due to potential pikuach nefesh concerns. In one instance, in the midst of Shabbat, we received information from a woman who reported that a thief had broken into her apartment while she was inside. We arrived at the scene during Shabbat and captured him. It later turned out that the woman hid under her bed, managed to reach her phone, and thus made contact with us."

Helping Those Struggling Financially

Are there events you're particularly proud of?

"For me, any assistance I've given anyone – it's a world in itself. Even if it's something small. It's important to note that a small thing could also be returning a few hundred stolen shekels to someone living hand-to-mouth and struggling to make ends meet, as happened recently. This is very important for him, and it fills us with great satisfaction.

"There is also a story that happened recently, where the money of many individuals was saved. A man impersonating a businessman who got into financial trouble approached avreichim across the city and claimed he had nothing to eat. He knew how to exploit their kindness, and they lent him substantial amounts of money. After he disappeared, they realized it was a scam and contacted us. By Hashem's grace, we managed to lay our hands on him and arrest him. This was one of the major captures we conducted, during which we returned to those avreichim about one hundred thousand shekels, with the police assisting us in the incident. In other cases, we've caught thieves who broke into a house and attacked the residents who were present. Such events are also very important to us."

How do the captured suspects react?

"Many of them understand and accept the fate immediately when we arrive. They come to commit their crimes knowing there is a chance they'll get caught. As the saying goes, 'the end of a thief is to hang'."

As someone who often has to confront criminals and shady characters, is there fear in engaging in such activities?

"Put simply, it can indeed sound frightening. However, I've noticed that if a person operates from a place of assistance, aimed at helping people live peacefully or assisting them after such events occur – it provides the utmost tranquility."

What are your future plans?

"We continuously strive to advance and improve. Just recently, thirty of our volunteers completed a firefighting course. The training they underwent allows us to respond to fire incidents, which can sometimes cause significant financial damage and even devastate families or endanger lives. In the unfortunate case of a fire, we can arrive much quicker than any fire truck and begin extinguishing the fire using equipment placed in our volunteers' private vehicles. In addition to this, some of us serve as medics, which is also quite helpful at times."

You operate the most well-known guard organization in Bnei Brak; what is your recommendation to residents based on your experience?

"There are several important things that Bnei Brak residents, and not just them, should keep in mind. Firstly, we've noticed that many people leave their house keys outside the home in various ways, like in the electricity cabinet. It's important to know that the thieves are aware of these locations as well, and they use them to break into houses.

"Another very important thing is the need to always supervise children, because we never know who may be lurking around the corner. It's especially important to watch over them in the evening and on Shabbat afternoon. It's also crucial to teach the children that if an adult approaches them asking for help, they should tell him that they have a mom and dad who can assist. The message should be that an adult needs to ask another adult.

"And of course, in any case, you can always contact us at the center: 1700700963."

Finally, the media claims that Haredim do not contribute to the state. Besides the fact that this is an incorrect claim, not spiritually and not materially, what is your opinion as someone constantly helping others?

"The media can raise various claims that don't necessarily align with reality," Rotter responds. "They also tend to focus on the extreme minority that makes a lot of noise because it's more interesting. But I believe that most secular people know that the Haredi community provides significant assistance and contributes a lot. They know about the extensive volunteering within the Haredi sector. How do they know? They simply encounter it all the time, whether it's through 'Yedidim', or in hospitals and almost every intersection in life.

"This is an opportunity to note that many secular people also approach 'Shomrim' for assistance. By the way, there are also secular volunteers, mainly operating in Pardes Katz. Just recently, there was an event in Givat Shmuel, where a secular couple called us, and we arrived to assist them."