Washington Must Act to Protect American Synagogues

As a rabbi, my life’s work is centered on the concept of mikdash me’at—the small sanctuary. Our synagogues are intended to be places of refuge, spaces where the noise of the world fades and the spirit finds shaloach. But today, that peace is increasingly guarded by steel, glass, and armed security. We have been forced to accept a heartbreaking reality: for the American Jewish community, a house of worship can become a crime scene in an instant.

On March 12, that reality hit home once again at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan. As a pillar of American Jewish life, Temple Israel possesses the kind of top-notch security born from years of communal vigilance. When the attack came, the system worked. No lives were lost because the doors held, the cameras watched, and the professionals responded.

But this success story masks a deepening crisis. Last week, a bipartisan group of 150 House members called on the House Appropriations Committee to provide $1 billion in funding for the Department of Homeland Security’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program in 2027. While this historic commitment is a welcome sign of support, it stands in stark contrast to the immediate paralysis in Washington.

Since February 14, a shutdown at DHS has frozen the review of millions of dollars in nonprofit security grants. This administrative delay has left Jewish institutions in a state of dangerous limbo, forcing us to navigate a period of historic danger with private stopgaps and delayed federal promises.

The void is so severe that private security groups are now stepping in to offer temporary assistance, even recommending that Jewish institutions of any size hire armed guards to fill the gap. While we are grateful for the resilience of our community partners, private charity is not a substitute for the government’s fundamental duty.

The attack in Michigan follows a terrifyingly familiar pattern. From the massacres in Pittsburgh and Poway to the hostage situation in Colleyville and the recent car-ramming at a Chabad in New York City, we know exactly what is at stake. Each of these incidents adds to the collective trauma that has taught us, through blood and tears, that preparation is the only thing standing between a close call and a national tragedy.

While large congregations have the resources to meet this moment, not every community has that same safety net.

Across this country, small, rural synagogues and start-up minyans serve as the heartbeat of their local neighborhoods without massive endowments. In these spaces, a single door-buzzer or a lone guard represents a significant percentage of the annual budget. Yet, they face the same relentless threats as the largest urban pulpits. No synagogue should be left vulnerable because they cannot afford protection; the safety of our sanctuaries must be a priority that transcends both geography and the bottom line.

Rabbis are trained to hold complexity. We spend our days teaching congregants how to be open and welcoming while simultaneously training them on what to do in an active shooter situation. We teach “welcoming the stranger” while checking IDs at the door. It is an exhausting, double-edged existence. We do everything in our power to keep our doors open because we refuse to let fear win, but we cannot do it alone.

The House of Representatives has signaled its intent; now, the administration must act with pace and purpose. Washington must prioritize the immediate release of these security grants before the next community is targeted. We should not have to wait for the next tragedy to occur to prove that this funding saves lives.

Our tradition teaches Kol Yisrael arevim zeh bazeh—we are all responsible for one another. But beyond our moral tradition, our government has a constitutional duty to uphold the First Amendment. True religious freedom cannot exist if Americans are too afraid to enter their houses of worship.

Protecting these spaces is not a political favor; it is a fundamental obligation to ensure that “free exercise” of religion is not a death sentence. It is time for our government to protect all its citizens, regardless of where they pray. We will continue to do our part to keep our sanctuaries holy. We need our leaders to do their part to keep them safe.

Rabbi Joel Thal Simonds is the founding director of the Jewish Center for Justice, and president of Partnership for Growth Los Angeles.

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)