Click here to see and download the above Red Flag card for print. Please share widely!
The Gun Violence Prevention group of the TRS Social Justice Committee educates and mobilizes the congregation on common sense gun safety measures. Any interested TRS congregant is welcome to join the group’s advocacy and public education efforts, including lobbying for gun violence prevention laws on the local, state and federal level and educating the congregation and the broader community on gun safety laws and violence prevention strategies. Our activities include commemorating the victims of gun violence at a shabbat service and educating the public about gun violence prevention strategies at the annual City of Falls Church Memorial Day Festival.
For more information on national efforts to reduce gun violence, we recommend these resources:
Click here for Spanish.
In May of 2025 a panel of experts spoke to our congregation about “Five Strategies for Preventing Gun Violence” which include Firearm Purchaser Licensing, Extreme Risk Protection Orders, Safe Gun Storage, and Regulating the Public Carry of Firearms. To learn more about these proposals, view the recording of this 90 minute program.
Click here to download a brochure on Safe Storage of Firearms.
To learn more about this powerful tool see this Fact Sheet, available in both English and Spanish. For more in depth training, view a narrated slide presentation on YouTube narrated by Cantor Michael Shochet on how to use the Virginia ESRO law (above).
Virginia’s Emergency Substantial Risk Order, (ESRO) commonly known as “Red Flag” Law, can be used to temporarily take firearms from a person who the court finds is a substantial risk for harm to self or others.
If you suspect someone might be at risk, call a non-emergency line to start the legal process:
**If there is immediate danger, call or text 911.
For those experiencing a mental health crisis, call the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.
