The facade of the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Nov. 3, 2018. Photo: Reuters / Alan Freed / File.

Veteran US Jewish advocate Evan Bernstein was announced on Monday as chief executive officer of the Community Security Service (CSS) — an independent organization focused on protecting the Jewish community and its institutions through what it calls the “best-in-class training to build on-the-ground volunteer led CSS physical security teams and safety programs.”

CSS said in a statement that Bernstein was coming to the organization “with substantial leadership experience of more than 20 years and has been at the forefront of fighting anti-Semitism and all forms of hate, including a long tenure at the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), where he served for seven years as the organization’s regional director for New York and New Jersey, and subsequently as Vice President of its Northeast Division overseeing the Connecticut and Boston-based regional offices.”

Against a background of a rise in antisemitic incidents, Bernstein would now lead a push to introduce CSS to “even more Jewish communities across the country, building nationwide and central office infrastructure, the addition of new board members, and the future establishment of a security advisory board,” the statement said.

“We are ramping up our efforts to create a more robust operation that meets the latest security demands we see first-hand in our work with communal organizations,” Edward Sugar — CSS Board Chair — said. “With new resources, funding, leadership, and dedicated community members, we are now in a better position to push back against the rising tide of incidents singling out Jewish institutions and equip them with the critical tools needed to create secure environments.”

Bernstein said that he was “honored to have been selected to lead a national organization whose singular ever-critical mission is to protect Jewish life and Jewish way of life.”