Authorities increase German shul security

Local councils have agreed to post armed officers outside during services following the Halle incident on Yom Kippur

A person with a flag of Israel stands next to flowers and candles in front of a synagogue in Halle, Germany, following a terror shooting on Yom Kippur in 2019 (AP Photo/Jens Meyer via Jewish News)

Local authorities and Jewish communities in Germany have significantly increased synagogue security in the wake of the deadly attack in Halle over Yom Kippur.

The death toll of two would have been higher had the gunman got through the fortified door, causing Jewish leaders and politicians to consider the synagogue’s lack of armed guards on the holiest day for Jews. The doors at the shul were reinforced in recent years as part of a security initiative funded by the United Israel Appeal with support from donors including Mikhail Fridman, German Khan and Peter Aven.

Authorities have agreed to post armed officers outside during services.

In Hesse, police said every synagogue and Jewish building would get security during Jewish holidays, while in Bavaria synagogues were added to police patrol routes.

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