Over the past decade, the Jewish community has made remarkable strides through Jewish federation security initiatives, investing in cameras, guards, reinforced doors and partnerships with law enforcement to protect our people and institutions. These investments have saved lives. But if the Yom Kippur attack in Manchester, England, taught us anything, it’s that hardware alone is not enough. 

In the Manchester attack, it was a synagogue member who recognized the attacker’s suspicious behavior and followed safety procedures exactly as he had been trained. Because of his actions, the attacker never entered the synagogue, saving many lives. 

Security infrastructure must be paired with training our people and creating a culture of awareness that empowers every member of our community to be an active participant in preventative security. Awareness training teaches individuals how to observe, interpret and respond to potential threats before they escalate. It transforms congregants, parents, students and Jewish communal professionals into an extension of our community’s security network. 

Awareness is not about fear — it’s about empowerment. It’s the confidence that comes from contributing to preventing an attack by knowing what to look out for and when to report something suspicious, and how to respond to protect yourself and others.

Training programs like Arya’s awareness education platform specifically invest in our greatest asset: our people. We know that trained individuals can make a critical difference for communities everywhere, and that digital tools like Arya can bring awareness training to Jewish communities of every size. A few minutes of engagement a few times a year transforms passivity into preparedness. When individuals are trained and alert, the entire ecosystem of safety becomes stronger and the impact ripples far beyond security. It fosters ownership, connection, confidence, resilience and a deeper sense of communal responsibility. 

The philanthropic sector has a critical role to play here. Awareness training is one of the most cost-effective and scalable ways to strengthen Jewish resilience; yet it remains chronically underfunded, often viewed as “soft” compared to physical security. 

The truth is that cameras can’t take action and guards can’t be everywhere. Awareness training fills the gaps between our systems, bridging human moments when vigilance and quick thinking save lives. 

As funders and Jewish communal professionals, we can integrate awareness training into every grant portfolio tied to security, leadership development and community building; support national coordination so every federation, school and synagogue has access to consistent, high-quality and easily accessible online training opportunities; and champion awareness as a shared communal responsibility, not a niche concern of security directors alone. 

Imagine equipping our children — our future — with awareness and confidence tools today that will ensure that they will be in a strong and resilient position when they are the leaders of our communities. 

The tragedy in Manchester must galvanize a shift to outsourced security measures in partnership with community-owned awareness. Every Jew should see themselves as part of the safety network that protects our people. 

This shift will not happen by accident. It will take philanthropic vision, leadership from national institutions and commitment at every level, from federations and synagogues to day schools, JCCs and camps. Awareness training should become as essential to Jewish life as leadership development, Israel engagement or youth education. 

Antisemitism is not receding; it’s evolving. The question before us as Jewish leaders, professionals and funders is: How can we evolve in response? Awareness training is an answer that deserves far more attention, funding and communal will. 

Debra Barton Grant is a senior strategic advisor to Arya and a longtime Jewish communal leader. A former Federation CEO and graduate of the FBI’s Citizen Academy, Debra most recently oversaw the launch and funding of over 130 Jewish communal security initiatives across North America.

Claudia Stein is the founder and CEO of Arya. With over 15 years of experience in community security, education and leadership across Australia, Canada and the U.S., she specializes in empowering communities to adopt proactive, informed approaches to safety and resilience.