- A Jewish congregation in St. Louis spends $75,000 annually in security costs, says its rabbi.
- According to St. Louis Jewish community leaders, security restricts organizations' outreach.
- They also say that Jews of color may feel less safe because of a police presence.
Rabbi Daniel Bogard says his congregation in St. Louis is "a community focused on radical hospitality" — but on High Holy Days, "it looks like something out of a war zone."
That's because Central Reform Congregation hires a SWAT team to secure the site.
Last month, Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, made national headlines when an armed man took four people hostage inside of it during a morning service. The FBI called the incident a "terrorism-related matter, in which the Jewish community was targeted."
The Department of Justice's most recent report said that Jewish and Muslim people saw some of the largest volumes of hate crimes in 2020, with 683 attacks against the former and 110 against the latter being voluntarily reported to the agency. Evidence shows that hate crimes often go underreported, however, so those numbers are likely higher.
In the wake of such attacks, Jewish leaders in St. Louis told Insider that institutions in their city have ramped up protections. Security costs can spike into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, and the grant programs from the federal government intended to bankroll such costs have been inadequate, they say, leaving congregations to foot the bill. Plus, all this security compromises the openness of their community, and asks members to reckon with an increased police presence — something they say is especially difficult for Black and brown Jews, who have a much more fraught relationship with police.
"Every Jewish institution in America has ongoing security costs of at least $50,000, and they can near $150,000," Bogard estimated. "The US places a '2nd Amendment tax' on Jewish organizations to be safe."
Extra security restricts the purpose of Jewish institutions
Many Jewish institutions in St. Louis used to have benches outside, encouraging people to mingle after events, says Rori Picker Neiss, Executive Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council in St. Louis.
But, she told Insider, many of those gathering places have been removed in recent years due to the threat of violence against Jewish communities.
"It evoked the feeling of being a sitting duck," she said.
Picker Neiss says that Jewish institutions in her city have lost something because of their fear.
"No one can just walk in and talk to a rabbi anymore," she said. "You would never happen upon a sanctuary and freely approach someone praying, you would have to be escorted. So someone in a rough situation seeking help or seeking prayer or exploration has hoops to get through. And I don't know how we go back from that."
In addition to impeding culture, Bogard says that Central Reform incurs about $75,000 in security costs per year — and that they're still left needing more.
"We're always fundraising and thinking about how to be safer," he said. "We've been trying to figure out how to afford bulletproof windows in our sanctuary, for instance, which would cost about $250,000."
Bogard mentioned that they rack up bills on infrastructure, such as granite bollards around the perimeter of the synagogue. They look like benches at first glance, he said. But they're meant to prevent people from ramming vehicles into worshippers during services.
"We have panic buttons all over. Security systems and cameras. We have training that every staff member and greeters have to do — that's just what it means to be a Jewish institution in 21st century America," he said.
Picker Neiss also said that security costs impact what kind of programs an institution can offer, because they make up the bulk of whatever budget they have. "In my experience we're not seeing institutions shutting down, but we're seeing a shift in what their operations are."
Her children's day school, for example, has gotten more expensive because of increased security costs, she said, and the prices might deter other parents.
Working with police for security could alienate Jews of color
Even preschool dropoff at Central Reform involves security costs. Bogard said that Central Reform spends thousands of dollars a week hiring off-duty officers as security guards during services and events.
While they've spent time acquainting the congregation with the police officers, Bogart knows some congregants of color have fraught histories with police.
"We have people of color who are made less safe with police there, and we have white congregants who feel less safe without one," he said.
Government grant programs don't pick up the full tab
Non-profit organizations, which include places of worship, can apply for the security grants, through the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency. Bogard said Central Reform received a few grants initially, but haven't gotten any in recent years.
Six weeks ago, he said they received a threat against the sunagogue. "It's necessary to pay someone on the staff to apply for Homeland Security grants, but that in itself raises our costs," he said.
Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker, one of the people held hostage at Beth Israel last month, urged Congress this week to raise funding for the grant program.
"Every congregation needs to be prepared, yet the gap between the need and funding is profound," he said. "There are far too many houses of worship who won't get the support they need."