Australia synagogues forced to cancel services, divert funds to cover security costs

Synagogues across Australia are facing severe financial and operational challenges, forcing them to cancel services and reallocate funds to meet rising security demands. Representatives from the Jewish community presented this situation to the Royal Commission on Monday during its fifth Hearing Block, which focuses on Jewish security concerns.

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couldn’t afford to pay a guard, and felt that they could not discharge their duty of care to congregants without one.

Richard Lancaster, counsel assisting the commission, stated that some synagogues have canceled Friday night services due to the inability to afford security guards. He noted that these institutions feel they cannot fulfill their duty of care to congregants without adequate protection. Lancaster added that the commission has received numerous submissions highlighting the significant organizational time, energy, and money dedicated to security.

"This underscores the difficulty that members of the Jewish community presently face: if they close themselves off for security reasons, they may be unfairly criticized as deliberately insular, but without the barriers they wish they did not need, they may be left unduly exposed," Lancaster told the commission. He emphasized that this security burden is unique to the Jewish community in Australia, unlike any other religious group facing similar challenges for basic activities like attending school or religious services.

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The commission has received submissions from very many synagogues around Australia. A constant theme is the organizational time, energy, and money that has to be committed to security.

ACO, a senior figure from the Community Security Group (CSG) Victoria, reported an increase in incident reports since October 7, leading to a surge in volunteer hours. In 2025 alone, volunteer security guards and administrative staff contributed an estimated 113,700 hours. ACO described the pressure on staff and volunteers as immense.

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This underscores the difficulty that members of the Jewish community presently face: if they close themselves off for security reasons, they may be unfairly criticized as deliberately insular, but without the barriers they wish they did not need, they may be left unduly exposed.

Witness ACS, another CSG member, spoke about the psychological toll of security work, noting a desensitization to objectively shocking events. ACS also detailed personal contributions, including approximately 8400 hours to CSG over five years, with 1500 hours of unpaid work. Both ACS and ACO stressed that the current situation is unsustainable, likening it to working two full-time jobs, especially given the risks involved in communal security.

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The pressure has been immense on all of our staff and volunteers.