Jewish communities across North America and the UK face heightened anxiety and rising security concerns following recent synagogue attacks in Toronto, Michigan, and Manchester, prompting rabbis, leaders, and government officials to re-examine community safety and the persistence of global antisemitic threats as services move behind locked doors.
The sense of unease extends far beyond physical geography, touching congregations from Halifax to Manchester. For religious leaders preparing weekly services, the current climate has shattered long-held assumptions about safety and community permanence.
Halifax Congregation Faces Heightened Anxiety Amid Global Incidents
In Halifax, Rabbi Yakov Kerzner of Beth Israel Synagogue prepared his Friday afternoon congregation during the first Shabbat following synagogue attacks in Toronto and Michigan. The reality of rising incidents has forced a stark reassessment among community leadership.
“My sermons in the past were, ‘Don’t worry, antisemitism is waning … we’re in a good time,'” he says. “Then you see it all of a sudden rising. You realize maybe it was never gone. Maybe it wasn’t disappearing. Maybe it was just hiding beneath the surface.”
Rabbi Yakov Kerzner, Beth Israel Synagogue
That realization has manifested in small, cautious changes to daily life. Kerzner recalled driving up from New York and finding himself putting on a baseball cap over his traditional kippa at rural rest stops. A short distance up Oxford Street in Halifax, Rabbi Gary Karlin of Shaar Shalom Congregation noted that members are asking difficult questions about who they can trust and who has their back.
The local context in Nova Scotia includes tangible incidents. In September, two synagogues and the Rohr Family Institute, the city’s Chabad centre, were vandalized. Mark David, past president of the Atlantic Jewish Council, observed that the shift from graffiti to gunfire in international incidents has fundamentally altered how the community views its safety, pointing to antisemitic posters on lampposts and growing concerns for children in schools and universities.
Security Measures and the Limits of Institutional Funding
Synagogues in Halifax now keep their doors locked during services, with events carefully advertised and pre-registration often required. A prayer book sitting in a pew at Beth Israel Synagogue is positioned just above emergency 911 instructions, serving as a quiet testament to the current atmosphere.
While the federal government recently announced additional funding to help Jewish communities pay for security, local leaders argue that physical reinforcements are insufficient.
“What we’re much more concerned about is that the government should enforce existing laws to get at the people doing these things and bring them to court.”
Manchester Congregation Marks a Year of Grief and Unresolved Tensions
Across the Atlantic, the Heaton Park congregation in Manchester gathered for a memorial service to commemorate victims and survivors. Rabbi Walker described a year of difficulty and of grief and of pain made heavier by attacks elsewhere, criticizing society’s approach to underlying causes.
“Something has gone seriously wrong in our society,” he said. “I think we’re dealing with symptoms. We’re extremely grateful for the increased security, but I don’t think there’s really any evidence of anyone dealing with the core problems.”
Rabbi Walker, Heaton Park congregation
Government officials have pushed back against the rising tide of hatred. Angela Rayner, cabinet minister for communities, told the BBC that the government would not allow hatred to drive people from their communities. Antisemitism is a poison, and we won’t stop fighting it until every Jewish person can live their lives fully, and free from fear, she stated.
Yet the physical and emotional toll remains deeply personal. Bernard Agyemang, a security guard, continues to recover from severe injuries suffered when a driver targeted him before attempting to force entry into a synagogue with a knife.
