Cleveland synagogues join national push to train congregants on security
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Synagogues across the U.S., including some in Northeast Ohio, are training congregants to serve on volunteer security teams, as antisemitic assaults hit record levels nationwide.
Why it matters: The push for hyper-vigilance comes as physical assaults against Jews in the U.S. hit a 46-year high in 2025.
Zoom in: The Jewish Federation of Cleveland recently launched a pilot program that trains volunteers to support professional security officers.
- So far, the program is active at three local synagogues — Congregation Mishkan Or and Green Road Synagogue in Beachwood and B’nai Jeshurun Congregation in Pepper Pike.
How it works: Volunteers are trained in emergency preparedness, physical security, stop-the-bleed techniques and reporting protocols.
- The goal isn't to replace professional officers, but to give them additional "eyes and ears" who know their congregations and can help during an emergency.
State of safety: Cleveland already has something many Jewish communities don't: its own professional security force.
- Founded in 2013, JFC Security provides around-the-clock coverage and mobile patrols for more than 60 local synagogues and Jewish agencies, as well as schools and early childhood centers.
- The operation employs nearly 70 security professionals, plus 115 off-duty police officers working as independent contractors, who have trained more than 3,700 community members, per its website.
The big picture: Cleveland's volunteer effort mirrors a national push to make congregants part of synagogue security as threats against Jews increase.
- More than 7,100 active volunteers have been trained by the Community Security Service, which protects more than 500 synagogues nationwide.
The bottom line: The front doorways of many synagogues are becoming both a place of welcome and a security checkpoint — a sign of how antisemitism is reshaping Jewish life in America.