Jewish Communities Spend $1 Billion on Rosh Hashanah Security as Antisemitic Crimes Rise
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 10
Jewish Communities Spend $1 Billion on Rosh Hashanah Security as Antisemitic Crimes Rise
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 10
Summary
$1 billion a year now goes to security at Jewish communal institutions as synagogues prepare for Rosh Hashanah under armed guards, cameras, bag checks and locked entrances.
The buildup reflects a sharper threat picture: FBI data showed 1,528 anti-Jewish hate-crime incidents in 2025, and NYPD figures showed anti-Jewish hate crimes rising 8% to 229 in the first eight months of 2026 even as major crime fell 6.2%.
Security has become national and routine since 9/11, with Jewish Federations helping build the Secure Community Network; in 2025 SCN logged 4,400 incident reports and trained 40,000 people, while CSS trained more than 20,000 volunteers.
Recent attacks have reinforced the urgency, including an Aug. 14 disruption at Manhattan's Central Synagogue and a March assault on a Michigan synagogue that endangered 140 children.
With one full-time guard costing about $90,000 annually, Jewish groups are pressing for more federal aid through the bipartisan Jewish American Security Act as the 25th anniversary of 9/11 coincides with the holiday.