The Twin Cities area Jewish community’s message remains: They’re maintaining safety and security while continuing to uplift fellow Jews to be proud and part of their community. 

This comes as the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) says they’re heightening security and vigilance following another violent attack against the Jewish community – this time in Boulder, Colo. In that attack, a group demonstrating for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza was firebombed by a man now in federal custody for the attack.

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“What it tells you is anti-semitism, violent anti-semitism, sadly, unfortunately, is alive and well in the United States,” Steve Hunegs, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota & The Dakotas.

“We all have to be careful, protect each other. No place where learning is immune from terrorism, given that fact, it’s all the more reason that all communities have to work together to prevent the scourge of terrorism here,” Huneges added. “It’s important for everybody to reject it, right? Reject terrorism, reject racism, reject anti-semitism.” 

A look at state data from the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) shows not only an increase in anti-semitism bias crimes, but that year after year, Jewish people face the highest number of religious bias crimes.

Take 2024, for example, the next closest religious group, Muslims, faced 11 crimes. Data shows an increase in Jewish people facing crimes:

• 2022: 19
• 2023: 26
• 2024: 28
• 2025: 6 (through the end of April)

Still, the JCRC remains committed to their message to the community that it’s safe, pointing to their own security measures they take, a healthy relationship with local law enforcement, and community involvement with being vigilant. 

“[It] doesn’t mean we’re not working hard at it, right? In a sense, [we’re in some ways], strengthening our security protocols. We try to learn from these incidents, right? Try to learn from what happened in D.C., try to learn from what happened in Boulder,” Huneges added. 

On the state data, Hunedes stressed that those are only reported crimes and that many incidents go unreported.