The fact that the Jewish people are a minority brings with it unique and inherent risks. That minority status exposes us to dangers that others can afford to overlook.
The question is not whether Jewish communities need to protect themselves – the question is how.
October 8, 2023 – and every day since – has reminded many Jewish people around the world that these threats are very much a part of our modern reality. This is not to say that violence against Jewish people is ubiquitous, but rather that it is a serious and ongoing threat that must be considered and dealt with.
Solutions applied in the 1990s do not necessarily apply today. Leaders of communities have a responsibility to prepare their constituencies for all eventualities. This includes the need to defend themselves collectively – but also individually – from physical harm. This is a very hard realization to internalize, but nonetheless, people who ignore this do so at their own peril.
A confident and healthy Jewish community – one that knows how to defend itself – is a community far less likely to be bullied.
Jewish institutions must integrate this mindset into daily life. Schools, synagogues, camps, and community centers should treat self-defense as part of Jewish education, no less important than Hebrew, history, or math.
Training in self-defense should be as normalized as attending a Shabbos service. It should be woven into the fabric of our institutions so that young Jews grow up with both a strong Jewish identity and the confidence to defend it. School principals, religious leaders, and youth group leaders are the ones with the responsibility to lead this charge.
There are four pillars of protection that every Jewish community should embrace:
Advocacy – engaging elected officials, decision-makers, and civic leaders to ensure Jewish concerns are heard and addressed.
Influence – through culture, media, and interpersonal relationships that shape public opinion.
Security – provided by law enforcement, private protection, and community-based security networks.
Personal self-defense – the often-neglected fourth pillar.
If and when the first three pillars fail, the fourth pillar – the pillar of self-reliance – should be strong.
Jewish people are not necessarily known for being “tough guys,” but maybe it’s time for that stereotype to change. The best way to deal with a bully is to confront them and let them know that there’s a consequence to their action.
Realism demands we confront the fact that not all threats can be reasoned with. Individuals and groups who harbor open hostility toward Jewish people will act on it when they believe they can do so with impunity. The only effective deterrent is strength – physical, communal, and psychological.
Options include firearm ownership where permitted by law, but it must also include physical preparedness – training in Krav Maga, boxing, judo, karate, or other disciplines that instill both skill and confidence.
Videos surface almost daily of Jews being harassed, attacked, or intimidated on the streets of major cities. This is not a call for radicalism or violence – but a call for level-headed realism.
New realities call for a new game plan. People learn self-defense so that they never have to use it. Moving forward, young people should walk with confidence through their lives. The great Hasidic Rabbi Nachman of Breslov once said, “The whole world is a narrow bridge, and the most important thing is to not be afraid; it’s to not be afraid at all.”
Through defense education, this teaching will move from being just an inspirational saying to becoming a lived reality.
Daniel Rosen is the co-founder of a nonprofit technology company called Emissary4All, which is an app to organize people on social media by ideology, not geography. He is the co-host of the podcast “Recalibration.” You can reach him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
