for the people next door
Understanding each other

Why does my neighbor’s synagogue or mosque have security guards?

2 min read Answered by the Neighbor Radio team Neighbor review in progress Updated

Because houses of worship have been targeted. FBI data for 2025 counted more than 2,400 hate crimes motivated by religion, and about 6 in 10 targeted Jewish people or places. Mosques, gurdwaras and Black churches have been attacked too. The guard isn’t there to keep neighbors out. It’s there so people can pray without being afraid.

1 · MindWhat people believe, and how they know

According to FBI data, there were 2,408 religion-based hate crimes in the U.S. in 2025. About 1,528 were anti-Jewish, roughly 63 percent. There were 233 anti-Muslim hate crimes, and anti-Sikh hate crimes rose about 25 percent. Hate crimes are also undercounted, because not every police department reports them.

Some attacks stay in people’s memories: seven worshippers killed after an attack on a Sikh gurdwara in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, in 2012 (one died of his wounds years later); nine killed at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015; eleven killed at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018.

Many congregations now pay for guards, cameras and locked doors. A federal program, the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, helps cover some of the cost.

What each tradition or community says

Many churches

Black churches, Catholic parishes and small rural congregations have added security teams too. It’s become part of church life in many places.

Many Jewish Americans

Walking past a guard to pray, or dropping kids at Hebrew school past one, has become normal. Nobody wants it to be.

Many Muslim Americans

Mosques have faced arson, vandalism and threats, especially after attacks overseas. Many keep their doors open anyway.

Many Sikh Americans

Sikhs are often mistaken for someone else and targeted for it. After Oak Creek, many gurdwaras changed how they welcome visitors.

2 · HeartWhat it feels like

Imagine teaching your kids where to hide in your own house of worship. Many parents have had that conversation.

For neighbors, a guard can feel unwelcoming. For the congregation, it often feels like the price of staying open.

Nobody wants a guard at the door of a place built for prayer. The best security any congregation has is a street full of neighbors who’d notice, and who’d care.Neighbor Radio

3 · HandsHow to be a good neighbor

Say hello to the guard and to the people walking in. Go to open houses and interfaith vigils. After an attack anywhere in the country, a short note or flowers left at your local synagogue, mosque, church or gurdwara means more than you’d think. If you see threats or vandalism, report it to local police and to the FBI at tips.fbi.gov.

This weekWrite a short note to a house of worship near you that isn’t your own: “We’re glad you’re our neighbors.”

Plain wordsWhat do these words mean?

Mosque
A Muslim place of prayer. In Arabic, a masjid.
Gurdwara
A Sikh house of worship. The name means “door to the Guru.”
Synagogue
A Jewish house of prayer, study and gathering. Also called a shul or a temple.
Catholic
The largest Christian church in the world, led by the Pope in Rome.
Interfaith
Between people of different religions, like an interfaith family or an interfaith dinner.

All the words →

Four questions to take with you

From Jesus' story of the Good Samaritan, about the stranger who stopped to help. We call it the Samaritan Test.

  1. Did they see? Or look right past?
  2. Did they stop? Even when it was inconvenient?
  3. Did it cost them? Time, money, comfort, reputation?
  4. Did they treat the person like a person? Not like a label?

Try it on: if someone threatened the congregation down your street, would you know their names?

Quick questions

Should I be nervous walking past?

No. The guard is there because the congregation has been threatened, not because you’re a threat.

Can I visit if there’s security?

Usually yes. Call ahead or come to an open event. They may check your bag or ask your name.

Sources and research
  1. Ynet News, August 2026: FBI data on 2025 religious hate crimes
  2. SALDEF: Anti-Sikh hate crimes increase nearly 25% in 2025
  3. FBI Crime Data Explorer
  4. FEMA: Nonprofit Security Grant Program
How this answer was made

Written in plain words by the Neighbor Radio team. Each faith's and community's section is checked by someone from that faith or community. Until then, this page says so. Spot something wrong? Tell us. We read every note and fix mistakes.

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