Security spending for US Jewish communities has surpassed an estimated $1.05 billion per year, a new record, the Jewish Federations of North America said on Thursday.

The group’s previous estimate, in 2024, put yearly security spending at $765 million, a difference of $285 million.

The organization said it carried out a study of 4,500 Jewish communal institutions including synagogues, Jewish community centers, schools, summer camps and nonprofits.

The estimate was based on the census of Jewish institutions, combined with security cost benchmarks and federal grant data, a spokesperson said.

The study did not include security costs for privately owned businesses like kosher restaurants, groceries and shops.

The average annual security expenditure for a Jewish institution was around $225,000, the federations said, adding that the total cost could be used to provide Jewish day school tuition to around 44,000 children.

Jewish community leaders have described the security costs as an additional “tax” on Jewish life.

“Every dollar our community spends on guards and cameras is a dollar not spent on Jewish education, on caring for our elderly, on taking care of those in need,” said Eric D. Fingerhut, the head of the Jewish Federations of North America.

The federations urged Congress to pass the Jewish American Security Act, introduced earlier this year, which would........

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