The Hard Lessons of War : Security: Safety measures are ordered at a West Valley Jewish school in the wake of reports that telephoned bomb threats have been received at other campuses.

By AMY LOUISE KAZMIN

Jan. 19, 1991 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

The front door to the office of the small Jewish elementary school was locked Friday and all prospective visitors had to identify themselves before they were allowed to enter. Two security guards hired earlier this week patrolled the school grounds.

George Lebovitz, principal of the west San Fernando Valley school, said he ordered the new security precautions because he is concerned that the increasing level of anti-Semitic hate crimes in this country might be further fueled by the escalating war in the Middle East.

“Saddam Hussein has put it into people’s heads that somehow this is all linked to Israel,” said Lebovitz, who asked that the school not be named, fearing that the publicity might draw reprisals.

His concern is shared by educators at Jewish elementary schools throughout the Los Angeles area, many of which increased security as war broke out in the Persian Gulf. Several Jewish schools and other institutions received telephoned bomb threats this week and at least one school was evacuated.

“Parents are very, very worried about the possibility of violence,” said Ron Reynolds, director of services for the Jewish Federation’s Bureau of Jewish Education. “I don’t want to talk about measures schools may have taken, but they have taken extra measures.”

Despite locked gates and security guards, Reynolds said teachers are trying to “maintain normalcy” inside. But Jewish educators said that is not easy because many of the students have relatives living under the threat of attack in Israel and they are preoccupied with the war.

“Both Jews and Americans of Arab descent have stronger personal ties to that part of the world,” Reynolds said. “They have friends and relatives there and that brings the war home in a very real sense.”

Sixth-graders at Lebovitz’s school Friday said worries about Israeli family members prevented them from sleeping at night and paying attention in class.

“It’s pretty hard for me to concentrate,” said Ben, an 11-year-old who has several family members in Israel. After Tel Aviv was bombed Thursday, he said, his parents repeatedly tried to call relatives there. He said they finally got through at 4 a.m. Friday. and were relieved to find everyone was safe.

Many of Ben’s classmates said they, too, had been up late, waiting as their parents frantically tried to contact relatives in Israel.

“I want to get home to watch the news,” said Ari, who also has family there.

Teachers said they have tried to cope as best they can--giving their students access to the news so they don’t miss important developments--while continuing with their lessons.

Some fifth- and sixth-grade teachers brought small television sets or radios, which flashed images and hummed quietly in corners, while students answered questions on Middle East geography.

Most of all, the educators said, the students needed an opportunity to voice their opinions and concerns about the war.

“Younger students are worried that they might be in danger of imminent attack,” Reynolds said. “They don’t have a good sense of geography, and they ask if bombs might be sent to Los Angeles. It’s a matter of reassuring them that this is taking place far away from us.”

But Annette Friedlander, a kindergarten teacher at Lebovitz’s school, said she has not seen evidence that her students fear they might be hurt in the war. During discussions Friday, the children spoke of gas masks, bombing and the long-simmering Arab-Israeli conflict with a sophistication that belied their young age.

“If I was a soldier,” one 5-year-old said, “I would blow up all Saddam Hussein’s tanks and telephones, and then put bombs in all his airplanes.”