The State of Security in the Jewish Community (2025 Update)

Shane Ammerman • May 22, 2025

Fight Antisemitic Violence

Exposing the Surge in Antisemitic Violence—and Why Jewish Unity and Real Security Must Be Non-Negotiable

The state of security in the Jewish community has never been more dire.

Since October 7, 2023, when the terrorist organizations Hamas and Hezbollah attacked Israel, the wave of antisemitism that followed has been unlike anything we have seen in modern American history. According to the ADL, in just the three months following the attack, 3,291 antisemitic incidents were reported in the U.S. That’s nearly the total for all of 2022 (3,697). By the end of 2023, there were 8,873 total incidents—the most ever recorded in one year. Statista confirms this surge. The BBC reports over 10,000 antisemitic events between October 2023 and September 2024.

So where is the outrage?

In a country that claims to fight racism, how do we allow antisemitism to skyrocket in plain sight? There are many reasons, but one of the biggest lies we’ve told ourselves as a society is that racism only happens to people with darker skin. That’s not just false—it’s dangerous.

The definition of racism is: prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed at a person or people based on their race or ethnicity, especially if they are part of a marginalized group.

That is the Jewish people.

But too many still believe Jews are somehow immune. They believe Jews are white, wealthy, and powerful—and therefore can’t be victims. That mindset erases entire communities, and it opens the door for hate to go unchecked.

I’ve seen what unbridled hate looks like. I lived it.

During the 2020 and 2021 Black Lives Matter riots, I was on the ground with my team in Denver. Innocent businesses were burned. Residents were assaulted. We were targeted for simply doing our jobs. That wasn’t justice. It was hate masked as activism.

Fast forward to now—and Jewish people are being attacked in broad daylight. On college campuses like Yale, Harvard, CU Denver, CU Boulder, and many more, Jewish students are being harassed, chased, and assaulted. And the response? “Free speech.”

In Colorado alone, universities have allowed pro-Hamas agitators to openly threaten and intimidate Jewish students without real consequence. The message is clear: some hate is tolerable.

According to the ADL, in all of 2024, there were only 267 incidents across all other major hate categories combined—Anti-LGBTQ+ attacks, white supremacist propaganda, white supremacist events, extremist murders, terrorist plots, and extremist/police shootouts.

Meanwhile, antisemitic incidents alone totaled 9,354.

Where is the outrage?

Where are the investigations?

Where are the consequences?

Why are our leaders and Media so quiet about the hate rising towards the Jewish People in America?

Reports of Antisemitic incidents by year

Silence Is Permission

This is not being addressed. It’s being excused. It’s being dismissed as “just speech.” It’s being allowed to traumatize and endanger thousands of innocent Jewish Americans while the rest of society looks away.

Even writing this article, I was warned:

“Maybe you shouldn’t say that. People won’t like it.”

But if we are going to make the Jewish community safer—and if we are going to make this world safer for everyone—then we must speak these uncomfortable truths that so many are too afraid to face.

The single largest factor that allowed the murder of six million Jews was the silence of good people—those who stood by and did nothing as evil was unveiled upon the world.

Today, we find ourselves at a precipice. And we must ask ourselves:

"Are we going to stand silent, and allow another atrocity to unfold in our own country?"

Or will we rise to the occasion—with loud, unified voices, with protection—and confront the hate rising against our brothers and sisters?

Synagogues are being vandalized. In Los Angeles, two Jewish men were shot after leaving synagogue. In Philadelphia, a synagogue was torched. Just before publishing this Two Israeli embassy staffers EXECUTED in shooting outside Capital Jewish Museum, as the shooter fled the scene yelling Free Palestine.

Right here in Colorado, the windows of Ohr Avner Synagogue were shattered in a targeted act of hate. This wasn’t random—neighboring buildings were untouched.

The attack was deliberate.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center recently released its list of the top 10 antisemitic incidents in 2024. It barely scratches the surface of what we're seeing on the ground.

And while organizations like the Security Community Network and programs like the DHS nonprofit grant are stepping in to help, too many others remain silent. Most politicians have either looked the other way or joined in the hateful rhetoric.

We Must Rebuild a Unified Kehilla

When we serve, we serve every community—from the most Orthodox to the least observant, and everything in between.

And one message we hear again and again, across all denominations of Judaism, is this:

“We don’t feel like we’re one community.”

I see it firsthand when trying to coordinate events, messaging, and outreach.

The observant feel the less observant are not observant enough.

The less observant feel the observant are too harsh.

So we are actively breaking our own community apart.

But here’s the truth: those who hate Jews don’t care about your level of observance.

They only see “Jew.”

It’s time we see that too.

We are one Kehilla.

One people.

And we must stand as one.

An additional issue is that too many institutions opt for "feel good" security instead of real deterrence. They refuse to implement security protocols, and awareness-based training because they want to remain open and welcoming. An unarmed greeter in a vest is not going to stop an active shooter, it’s simply security theater. While every organization has budget constraints, claiming you can’t afford security isn’t an excuse—you can’t afford not to have it. Lives are on the line.

When the hate comes, it doesn’t check affiliation. We must stand as a Kehilla. A united people. Because the attacker isn’t checking your observance level. He’s looking to kill Jews.

I’ve seen it with my own eyes—armed guards working in Denver with no uniforms, no IDs, no licenses. Organizations that choose cheap incapable security solutions, just for show. When I confront them, they shrug. That’s not security. That’s a lawsuit waiting to happen.

Security must be:

Armed
Trained
Visible
Uniformed
Embedded in your culture
Work with your organization to build a culture of safety and security.

Some rabbis push back on technology and security protocols over Halachic concerns, while others push back because they do not want an armed person. But we must remember even Hashem appointed the Levites to guard the Temple.

Even David carried a sword.

Having served the Jewish community over the past six years, we’ve become deeply embedded—not just as service providers, but as trusted partners and friends.

In that time, many of our Jewish clients, colleagues, and friends have shared profound conversations with us—conversations filled with cultural richness, spiritual depth, and real concern for their people’s safety.

We’ve talked through passages from the Torah and Talmud. We've explored how the case for protection isn’t just practical—it’s biblical. Many have told me they long for a unified Jewish community, one not divided by levels of observance or background, but bound together by a shared purpose: to protect Jewish life.

They’ve made it clear: safety isn’t just a need—it’s a commandment.

"He who saves one life, it is as if he has saved an entire world." — Talmud, Sanhedrin 37a

"The guardian shall not say: 'What can I do?'… he is accountable for the flock." — Midrash on Ezekiel 34

Hashem gave us tools. Use them.

The preservation of life overrides every other commandment.

This Is What We’re Doing to Help

At HCCI Protection, we’ve donated over $400,000 in free or discounted services to help Jewish communities afford real protection.

We are actively working to create security patrol co-ops to spread the cost and ensure everyone gets coverage. We offer free Krav Maga training, awareness seminars, as well as exploring the creation a nonprofit fund to eliminate cost as a barrier, ensuring you have access to the best security services you and your community deserve.

If you’re a business or individual who wants to help secure the future of the Jewish people, reach out to me directly. We are actively seeking partners willing to match dollar-for-dollar to help build a safe Jewish future—for all of us.

Safety isn’t a luxury. It’s a responsibility.

This Cannot Become Our New Normal

October 7th changed everything. So did Pittsburgh (Tree of Life, 2018). So did Colleyville (Beth Israel, 2022).

This cannot be our new normal. We cannot stand idly by while we wait for the next tragedy. We must do our part to prevent it.

We must: