Columbus Jewish organization increases security after the attack on Iran

A Jewish organization based in Columbus decided to bolster security at its facilities in the city, as well as other locations in central Ohio, while expressing its sympathies with American and Israeli soldiers deployed to Iran.

JewishColumbus’s Chief Security Officer, Michael Higgins, told 10WBNS that, even though there are no present threats against Jews in Columbus, generally, or against the organization in particular, the organization still heightened its security measures as a precaution, coordinating with local law enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, and the Department of Homeland Security to ensure appropriate safety measures are in place.

“The Columbus Jewish community is in a safe space right now, and JewishColumbus is ensuring that it remains that way,” he told the outlet. “There are no direct threats to the Jewish community, but we are remaining vigilant, and we will just see what happens next.”

Higgins added that armed security, which he said is standard at the organization’s facilities, has been expanded to ensure that personnel in synagogues, schools, community centers, and other facilities would be protected at all times.

“We are alert, we are on guard, we are at a high level of readiness, we have state-of-the-art technology as one layer of security for our institutions, we have armed security as another layer of that, and then we have all our coordination with our law enforcement partners,” he told the Jewish community in central Ohio via 10WBNS.

Higgins also told the news source that the organization contacted members of the Columbus Jewish community currently visiting Israel and confirmed that they are safe.

JewishColumbus Board Chair Jonathan Feibel also told the news source in a statement that the organization supports the Iranian people, highlighting that “the people of Iran are not the regime.”

“They deserve dignity, opportunity, and a government that respects fundamental human rights,” he said.

Higgins advised Jews in Columbus to continue living their lives while also remaining alert and reporting anything suspicious to the local authorities.

The organizations’ precautions are not completely based on paranoia. ABC 6 reported in 2025 that the organization was forced to increase its safety measures after witnessing rising anti-Semitism incidents in the United States.

“These anti-Semitic acts of violence and hate hit home regardless of where you live,” JewishColumbus President & CEO Julie Tilson Stanley told ABC 6. “Security is a top priority for JewishColumbus. Since October 7, anti-Semitic incidents have increased by 42%.”

The Jewish community all across Ohio has been experiencing these anti-Semitic attacks for years now, with the most well-known examples going back to 2017, when the Jewish Community Center of Greater Columbus received a bomb threat, according to CantonRep.com.

In 2022, The Columbus Dispatch reported that a private security guard for Columbus Torah Academy had been charged with making terrorist threats.

The threats continued in 2023 by a suspended Ohio National Guard member, for which he was later sentenced and put in prison, NBC 4 reported.

That same year, another person was accused of making anti-Semitic remarks, according to WOSU Public Media.

In November 2023, Ideastream Public Media reported on the Ohio State University’s Jewish students being assaulted on campus and Israeli flags being vandalized. This resulted in Gov. Mike DeWine sending law enforcement to help patrol near the university after the attacks, according to another report by The Columbus Dispatch.

In 2024, a Columbus synagogue’s banner was also set on fire, according to another report by NBC 4. That same year, neo-Nazis had a march in Columbus, which resulted in the local law enforcement identifying one of the people, according to another WOSU Public Media report.