US Jewish community security costs surpass $1 billion per year — study

Security spending for US Jewish communities has surpassed an estimated $1.05 billion per year, a new record, the Jewish Federations of North America said on Thursday.

The group’s previous estimate, in 2024, put yearly security spending at $765 million, a difference of $285 million.

The organization said it carried out a study of 4,500 Jewish communal institutions including synagogues, Jewish community centers, schools, summer camps and nonprofits.

The estimate was based on the census of Jewish institutions, combined with security cost benchmarks and federal grant data, a spokesperson said.

The study did not include security costs for privately owned businesses like kosher restaurants, groceries and shops.

The average annual security expenditure for a Jewish institution was around $225,000, the federations said, adding that the total cost could be used to provide Jewish day school tuition to around 44,000 children.

Jewish community leaders have described the security costs as an additional “tax” on Jewish life.

“Every dollar our community spends on guards and cameras is a dollar not spent on Jewish education, on caring for our elderly, on taking care of those in need,” said Eric D. Fingerhut, the head of the Jewish Federations of North America.

The federations urged Congress to pass the Jewish American Security Act, introduced earlier this year, which would authorize up to  $1 billion annually for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, a federal initiative that Jewish groups use to help cover security costs.

Most of the expenditures go to security personnel such as guards and security directors, and around $150 million is spent on security technology and hardening buildings, the study said.

Security has become a paramount concern for American Jews since the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting killed 11 worshipers in 2018.

That massacre was followed by deadly attacks in New York, New Jersey and California.

The October 2023 Hamas invasion of Israel and ensuing war in Gaza prompted another push for security. Antisemitic incidents surged after the Hamas attack, an increase that extended into 2024. Antisemitic incidents decreased last year compared to 2024, but remain near record levels, and deadly attacks increased.

The FBI reported that Jews were targeted in 63% of all religious hate crimes in 2025. Jews were targeted in 14% of all hate crimes in the US, despite making up around two percent of the population.

Deadly attacks took place in Washington, DC and Boulder, Colorado.

Anti-Jewish attackers killed 20 people in the Diaspora in 2025, making it the deadliest year for Diaspora Jews in decades.

Law enforcement in the US has also repeatedly thwarted attempted terrorist attacks against Jews.

Nearly all Jewish gatherings in the US have security measures in place, ranging from reinforced doors at synagogues to guards, police patrols, and cybersecurity.

Jewish community initiatives include volunteer guards, counter-terrorism lessons, street patrols, Krav Maga programs, online threat monitoring and trauma response training.

The security measures have been credited with preventing attacks, including an attempted terror attack against a Michigan synagogue earlier this year.