US Urges Global Security Boost at Synagogues Ahead of Jewish High Holidays

The US State Department has instructed American diplomatic missions worldwide to urge host countries to significantly enhance security measures around synagogues, Jewish institutions, and holiday events in anticipation of the upcoming Jewish High Holidays (Tishrei). The directive, issued on Wednesday, calls for deploying police, counterterrorism units, or even military forces as needed to protect these sites and the surrounding Jewish residential areas. It also emphasizes securing walking routes used by observant Jews traveling to synagogues, as their predictable schedules and identifiable attire increase vulnerability.

Diplomatic missions have been asked to coordinate with local authorities to conduct security briefings involving Jewish institutions, security agencies, and businesses ahead of the holidays. Unusually, the directive also requests establishing a method to deliver immediate threat alerts during Shabbat and holidays to observant Jews who do not use electronic devices.

This heightened security advisory follows a global rise in antisemitic incidents, including a recent arson attack on a synagogue in Melbourne, Australia. FBI hate crime data for 2025 reveals a persistent and alarming trend of antisemitic violence in the United States, where Jews, comprising about 2% of the population, were targeted in nearly 63% of all reported religious hate crimes. In some US states, Jews accounted for up to 90% of religiously motivated hate crimes. The year 2025 marks the third consecutive year of record-high antisemitic hate crimes since monitoring began, with 1,528 antisemitic hate incidents reported nationwide, representing 14% of all hate crimes.

The State Department had issued a similar security advisory before Passover, underscoring ongoing concerns about the safety of Jewish communities globally amid rising antisemitism.