Shuls should bar individual mispalelim from bringing guns to minyanim unless they are part of an organized, trained security team, according to new guidance released this week by the Secure Community Network (SCN), the security arm of the Jewish Federations of North America and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.

The report comes as Jewish communities face heightened threats and as debates over firearms in shuls intensify. Michael Masters, SCN’s national director and CEO, told JNS that “allowing individuals in an unstructured, unplanned way to carry guns in a house of worship is simply not a viable or responsible option given the threat environment or the potential impacts of doing that.”

Instead, SCN is urging congregations to formalize volunteer security teams — with clear chains of command, defined roles, and training in threat recognition, crisis response and de-escalation — coordinated with law enforcement and backed by written policies. “Far too few” shuls have what Masters called “a thoroughly vetted, well-thought-out gun policy.”

The report stakes out a position in a debate that has quietly divided Jewish institutions: whether armed mispalelim deter attacks or risk turning moments of crisis into chaos. Millions of Americans — including many Jewish families — have purchased firearms in recent years. But SCN warns that unstructured gun carrying could expose synagogues to legal liability and undermine carefully crafted security protocols.

The recommendations:

• Limit armed presence to vetted volunteer teams.
• Clarify when and how force can be used.
• Train members on situational awareness and de-escalation.
• Establish policies for other weapons, including tasers and sprays.

Jewish institutions have poured money into security since the deadly Pittsburgh synagogue shooting in 2018, with dramatic increases in patrols, coordination with police, and infrastructure upgrades. Yomim Noraim tefillos are now among the most heavily secured times of the year, Masters noted — though he acknowledged that smaller shuls often struggle with fewer resources.

“We are investing more as a community, nationally and locally, in security than we ever have before,” he said. “But the responsibility to do this right has never been higher.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)