Seattle-area Jewish congregations are enhancing security measures following a deadly attack outside a Manchester, UK synagogue on Yom Kippur that killed two people and injured several others.
The attacker rammed a car into a crowd outside the synagogue and stabbed people before being shot and killed by police. UK authorities are investigating the murders as a terror attack, identifying the victims as Melvin Cravitz, 66, and Adrian Daulby, 53.
The violence has heightened concerns within Seattle’s Jewish community days before the October 7 anniversary of Hamas-led attacks on Israel that triggered the ongoing Gaza war.
“I’m always aware, wherever I am, thinking about my security,” said Michele Bat-Or. “I usually wear a Jewish star necklace, and I changed to a different symbol. That feels a little bit too unsafe to wear a Jewish star around my neck.”
A reported rise in antisemitism globally following October 7, 2023, has intensified security concerns among local Jewish residents.
David Shujman, president of Herzl Ner Tamid on Mercer Island, said the attack on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, has heightened existing fears. “There is a sense of fear amongst our board, amongst our congregation, but all that being said, we are a strong people,” Shujman said.
Herzl Ner Tamid has increased armed security presence, heightened screenings of people entering the campus, and implemented an incident report system to track issues.
“I’ve never been so anxious in my life getting ready to go to shul, to temple, to pray,” Shujman said. “And, it shouldn’t be that way, but it is.”
Bat-Or, who attends Congregation Beth Shalom in Seattle, said her synagogue has added similar safety measures utilizing trained security professionals and volunteer teams. The temple has conducted evacuation drills during services.
“We have had evacuation drills in the synagogue during services. We have maps and we practice, when it’s a crowded synagogue, where to go if we need to,” Bat-Or said.
The enhanced security measures, while considered necessary, come at significant financial cost. “Jewish people have been coming together and funding all of these needs, but it’s not sustainable,” Shujman said, noting that growing needs create increasing strain on local congregations.
