By Danielle Patterson
This past March, Len Connolly celebrated 40 years of service to the North American Jewish community. As senior director of facilities and security at Jewish Silicon Valley in Los Gatos, California, Len has spent four decades ensuring our shared spaces remain safe, welcoming, and vibrant. His proactive approach to building relationships with local law enforcement has established him as a premier industry expert.
Forty years is a monumental tenure, but for Connolly, the motivation has always been simple: the people. “I told myself when I started that I would stay as long as I was challenged and engaged with the community,” Connolly reflects. “I’m still here because there is simply nowhere else I’d rather be.”
Connolly got his start at the Young Men’s Hebrew Association in Winnipeg, Manitoba as a shift engineer in 1986, which then became the Asper Jewish Community Campus, where he quickly demonstrated a natural aptitude for the complex systems that keep a community hub running. In 2005, he joined the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley. The organization later merged with the Addison-Penzak JCC to become what is now known as Jewish Silicon Valley.
Connolly worked alongside influential leaders who helped shape him professionally. He carries with him the lessons learned from mentors and colleagues like Les Marks, Tom Cockburn, Bob Yaffe, Mike Kaufman, Jyl Jurman, Joel Rubnitz, Ruth Fletcher, and Hal Brody.
“Hal Bordy was the one who took a chance on me in the beginning and has been my biggest influence along this journey,” said Connolly. “I worked with him at all three buildings, and he was the one who recruited me to California.”
“It was a big step, but I didn’t want to live with ‘should haves.’” His gut told him to make the leap to California, but it was his wife of 40 years, Sandy, who decided while sitting in the Denver airport after their scouting visit to California. “I was hooked, but I needed to convince Sandy it was right for our family,” said Connolly.
He looked over to see Sandy, in tears. “I thought it was too much,” Connolly remembers. “But she looked at me and said, ‘We have to go to California. I see the excitement in your eyes.
People are talking to you, not at you. It would be so good for our kids.’”
With a letter from the rabbi vouching for his mikvah (ritual bath) supervision experience to help clear the immigration hurdles, the Connollys made the leap.
“Four decades later, and I still know it was the best decision,” said Connolly. “She was right.”
Connolly’s career focus has been weaving security enhancements with Jewish programming and traditions, and he is passionate about implementing physical security while maintaining a welcoming environment.
Strengthening the bond with local law enforcement remains one of Connolly’s proudest achievements. “In Winnipeg, we were in a tough neighborhood, and we lacked that relationship and support,” said Connolly.” He understood the importance of cultivating that relationship in both good and troubling times. “The entire Los Gatos Monte/Sereno Police Department has been quick to support us and shares the same ideals for protecting the public and community outreach,” said Connolly. “In times of crisis, they are a phone call away. They are protective of us and we appreciate it.” Connolly notes that most JCCs must rely solely on private security, but Jewish Silicon Valley also has the support of the Town of Los Gatos.
He adds that seeing officers in uniform on campus is now a welcome sight. “We used to beg for their presence, and now they are familiar faces.” The department trains at the facility and can often be seen at the community events on campus, including the annual Hero Day, which invites the community to interact with local police and fire personnel and their vehicles.
“Seeing them on campus is no longer followed by ‘What’s wrong? Is there a problem?’” said Connolly. “Our community knows and appreciates the relationship we have fostered with them.”
Connolly’s relationships have helped lead to the campus hosting Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training with the Santa Clara County Fire Department, anti-terrorism clinics with the Department of Homeland Security, and providing building assessments for the Northern California Regional Intelligence Center (NCRIC). These sessions provide critical information about local response protocols, promote collaboration between residents and law enforcement, and ensure our community remains informed, proactive, and ready in the event of an emergency.
Jewish Silicon Valley also hosted a panel discussion as part of JCC Association’s 2025 Western Regional Conference, sharing efforts around collaborative relationships with local law enforcement.
A veteran security leader and original member of JCC Association’s JResponse® Peer Community, Connolly actively participates and sits on multiple safety and security boards and cohorts, ensuring he stays at the forefront of emerging information, best practices, and industry trends through continued education.
In preparation for the High Holidays, Connolly partnered with Rafi Brinner, senior director of community security with the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund, to host an in-person security training that covered situational awareness, bringing a security mindset to receiving visitors, and how to respond in the event of an active threat.
“It’s all about showing the Jewish community that they are safe here,” said Connolly. “I’ve watched the world change around us, and I’ve seen the rise in antisemitism firsthand. Yet through these shifts, I am continually inspired by the way the Jewish community continues to stand firm in their beliefs.”
“He has prioritized growing relationships with law enforcement and emergency personnel all the time, 365—not just in times of need,” said Jewish Silicon Valley Chief Operating Officer Diana Schnabel-Arevalo. “He truly sees the value of the community at large and being an asset to them as well.”
Connolly’s deep ties to local agencies are evidenced by his work on the hiring and training committees for the Los Gatos/Monte Sereno Police and Santa Clara County Fire departments. Of this partnership, Connolly says: ‘It is an honor to help them carve out their future and return the support.”
What does he consider his proudest legacy? It’s his role in establishing the building’s foundational policies. “I always aimed to leave this place better than I found it,” Connolly reflects. I pride myself on not just looking for a solution but going the extra mile to ensure the job is done right.”
“It is rare to find a Jewish community professional who has been involved in JCC Association, JFNA, and with a merged entity like ours,” said Schnabel-Arevalo, who first began working with Connolly in 2009, when she was an intern working on rentals and events with the Addison-Penzak Jewish Community Center. “He has been able to bring all that knowledge to Jewish Silicon Valley, and I have learned so much from him.”
Now, four decades later, Connolly feels a deep sense of fulfillment. “I never have to wonder ‘What if?’ because I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be,” he shares. “It was bashert (intended).”
Danielle Patterson is the senior director of marketing and communications at the APJCC Los Gatos, powered by Jewish Silicon Valley.
Photos: Jewish Silicon Valley/Addison-Penzak JCC
Top photo: Len Connolly, second from left, and other staff members recognized for years of service to the JCC
Photo in text: Len Connolly and a member of the Los Gatos Fire Department