The bill for securing Jewish communal life in the United States has crossed $1.015 billion a year just as Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown on September 11, tying the High Holidays to the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and sharpening a question: who pays when worship itself has to be protected?

 

The Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) said on September 3 that Jewish communal security spending is up 33 percent from a 2024 estimate of $765 million and averages roughly $225,000 across more than 4,500 institutions, including synagogues, Jewish community centers, schools, summer camps and other nonprofits.

 

The group said the figure excludes privately owned Jewish businesses, such as kosher restaurants, markets and Judaica shops, which means the full cost of Jewish public security is likely higher than the nonprofit tally.

 

The $1 billion figure is more than a security estimate; it puts a price on a condition now built into Jewish communal life in the United States: before a congregation can pray or a child can attend Hebrew school, many institutions must first pay to make the space safe enough to enter.

 

Read the full article in Newsweek.