Baltimore area Jewish communities bolster security as more attacks happen

With another high-profile attack against the Jewish community dominating national headlines, the local community is on high alert.

Given the recent rise of these attacks, a local Jewish community leader said security has to stay top of mind all the time now.

Howard Libit, executive director of the Baltimore Jewish Council, told WJZ there wasn't really a need to have security around when he was growing up -- but that's no longer the case.

Prioritizing security

News of what happened in West Bloomfield Township in Michigan spread rapidly on Thursday.

A man rammed a truck into Temple Israel, in what the FBI has described as a "targeted act of violence against the Jewish community."

The suspect, 41-year-old Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, was killed by synagogue security. A local journalist in Lebanon tells CBS News Ghazali lost several of his family members in an Israeli airstrike on March 5.

Ghazali was a naturalized U.S. citizen.

"You don't wanna ever just kind of say, 'Oh, this is how life has to be.' We can't accept it," Libit said. "But, it really has become kind of crushing this seems to be the norm."

With each attack, Libit said security becomes an even greater need, to the point million of dollars are being spent. The need for security isn't just at synagogues, either; it's also at community centers and schools.

For Libit, it's a balancing act of wanting to be welcoming and staying safe.

"I know there are some synagogues that have put up gun detection systems to walk in, seems like a reasonable thing," he said. "I'd hate to see where we get to a stage where everyone's gonna have to be wanded to walk in to pray."

Police in Baltimore and Howard counties say they have increased their presence and patrols around all places of worship as a precautionary measure following what happened in Michigan.

"Our officers will be highly visible and vigilant," said a Baltimore County Police spokesman in an email.

Lance Leising, a retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent, told CBS News that working with law enforcement is critical.

"Take preparations and steps. What law enforcement needs is that community involvement," Leising explained.

While security is top of mind, Libit said his faith is right up there with it.

"We need to say I'm not gonna let this stop me from going to synagogue. I'm not gonna let it stop me from going to a Jewish event. I'm not gonna let it stop me from celebrating holidays with my family. We have to be committed," he said.

Libit said the most comforting thing that's happened since the Michigan attack is that leaders from other faiths have reached out to check in on him.

Tracking antisemitism incidents

Thursday's attack comes as antisemitism incidents have seen an uptick.

Leising said he believes the war with Iran has definitely fueled many of the recent cases.

The Anti-Defamation League has been tracking a rise in these incidents for years. In its latest data, more than 9,300 cases were recorded in 2024.

The Baltimore Jewish Council has done anti-hate education campaigns in the past, and according to Libit, may do another one soon.