New York City Jewish institutions are stepping up security as Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur approach, amid a rise in antisemitic incidents across the city.
At Temple Emanu-El on the Upper East Side, Senior Rabbi Joshua Davidson said congregants should be able to worship without feeling that doing so is an act of bravery.
“It shouldn’t take an act of courage for a Jew to go to temple on the High Holy Day or on the Sabbath. And yet in the environment in which we are living, sometimes it feels like it does,” Davidson said.
With Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur both being observed this month, Davidson said the synagogue is working closely with its security team and the NYPD to help keep worshippers safe.
“With every incident that occurs, most recently the one at Central Synagogue, our own team examines what we do, to constantly make sure that we are as vigilant as we can be,” Davidson said.
According to the NYPD Hate Crimes Dashboard, Jews were targeted in 181 of the 325 hate crimes reported citywide during the first half of 2026.
The data does not include incidents reported after June 30, including the August arrest of a man accused of disrupting Shabbat services at Central Synagogue in Midtown. Police say he struck a congregant and headbutted a security guard.
At the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan on the Upper West Side, security is also a daily concern.
“Security is on our minds every day. The most important gift we can give our community is a place they feel safe both physically and emotionally,” said Rabbi Joanna Samuels, the center’s CEO.
The JCC welcomes more than 2,000 people nearly every day for classes, programs and exercise facilities. Samuels said the center is in constant coordination with the NYPD and state and local government agencies.
“We understand that people feel afraid and we want to reassure them that we are stronger when we are together,” Samuels said.
For some Jewish New Yorkers, the increase in antisemitic incidents has not led them to hide their identity.
Molly Krueger, a lifelong Upper East Side resident in her 30s, said she does not fear for her safety.
“I wear a Star of David, I have a Hebrew ring,” Krueger said.
Rather than concealing her Jewish identity, Krueger said the current environment has made her want to connect more closely with her community.
“It has the opposite effect on me. I want to find my Jewish community, and I really want to kind of maintain that sense of self,” she said.
At the Manhattan Jewish Experience on the Upper West Side, which primarily serves Jewish professionals in their 20s and 30s, security measures have also been tightened.
Rabbi Mark Wildes, the organization’s founder and director, said people attending services must pre-register before entering the building.
“We have a lot of security downstairs before you can get into the building. You need to preregister, put your name down. If your name is not on the preregistration, we can’t let you in. That is just unfortunately, the situation,” Wildes said.
Wildes said he hopes the security measures will allow people attending Rosh Hashanah services and dinner to feel comfortable celebrating their Jewish heritage and worshipping peacefully.