Synagogues and other Jewish institutions across America spent more than $1 billion on security last year as antisemitic hate crimes continue to soar since the Oct. 7 terror attacks on Israel, a shocking new analysis found.
That equated to a 33% rise in security spending in just one year, according to The Jewish Federations of North America, which looked at both public and private funding to reach those numbers.
In 2024, by comparison, Jewish centers spent $765 million on security, the Washington Post reported.
The alarming figures came just as the Jewish high holidays kicked off, with Rosh Hashanah already passed and Yom Kippur and Sukkot each on the way by October — meaning Jews will be flocking to houses of worship, and the need for security will be at its height.
Antisemitic incidents have been soaring across the country since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, with the deadly attack sparking war between Israel and the terror group — and hateful backlash against Jews by agitators across America.
Over 60% of all religiously-motivated US hate crimes in 2025 were against Jews, despite the religious group comprising under 3% of the population.
Incidents have stretched across the country — in March, a madman attempted to blow up a Michigan synagogue preschool full of kids, and in January a hateful lunatic torched a historic Mississippi synagogue.
And in New York City — where Jews comprise 10% of the population — antisemitic hate crimes are continuing to rise, climbing 15.8% from 2025.
Such incidents have become almost commonplace in the Big Apple since Oct. 7 — with Jewish restaurants, markets and synagogues frequently subjected to vandalism, while random shoving, verbal abuse and even stabbings of Jews on the sidewalks have filled the headlines for nearly three years.
The problem has gotten so bad that this year Gov. Kathy Hochul allocated $70 million in state funds to bolster city Jewish centers’ security measures during this year’s high holidays.
“The most sacred period in the Hebrew year gets underway in a few short days,” Hochul said while announcing the measure earlier in September. “This is always a time of anxiety, concern, and now I would say it’s been ratcheted up.”
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