{"id":2645859,"date":"2026-08-17T06:34:02","date_gmt":"2026-08-17T10:34:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/jewish-advocates-fear-md-public-carry-ban-disarms-synagogues\/"},"modified":"2026-08-17T06:37:31","modified_gmt":"2026-08-17T10:37:31","slug":"jewish-advocates-fear-md-public-carry-ban-disarms-synagogues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/jewish-advocates-fear-md-public-carry-ban-disarms-synagogues\/","title":{"rendered":"Jewish advocates fear MD public carry ban disarms synagogues"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fjewish-advocates-fear-md-public-carry-ban-disarms-synagogues%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2645859&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses a notable legal case in Montgomery County, Maryland, which highlights the complex relationship between rising antisemitism adn gun restrictions. Montgomery County, Maryland&#8217;s most populous area with the largest Jewish community, has experienced a significant portion of the state&#8217;s antisemitic incidents. In response to increased threats and incidents, the county passed a law banning the carrying of licensed firearms within 100 yards of \u201cpublic places of assembly,\u201d including synagogues. This law has sparked protests from Jewish communities and legal challenges, notably from the Silver Spring Jewish Center and the Department of Justice, arguing it effectively disarms synagogues and impedes self-defense rights protected by the Second Amendment.<\/p>\n<p>The synagogue and its supporters contend that the law restricts their ability to provide internal security, which they have historically managed through volunteer members with firearms permits. They argue that the law\u2019s restrictions make it difficult for congregants to carry weapons during walks to synagogues, especially on the Sabbath, increasing security concerns amid rising antisemitism. Critics also highlight that the law prevents synagogues from maintaining their volunteer security teams and that the restrictions have broader implications for religious freedom and safety.<\/p>\n<p>The legal case is ongoing, with delays due to local officials&#8217; stalling and judicial questions about the timing of the lawsuit. The backdrop for this controversy includes a heightened concern over antisemitic violence following recent attacks and the general rise in antisemitic incidents in Maryland, despite some recent declines. The community is increasingly interested in emigration to israel for safety, reflecting deep fears about local security. the situation underscores the tension between gun regulations aimed at reducing violence and the imperative for vulnerable communities to protect themselves amid escalating antisemitism.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A historic legal case in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/maryland\/\">Maryland\u2019s<\/a> largest county is shining the spotlight on a rare intersection between rising <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/antisemitism\/\">antisemitism<\/a> and gun restrictions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Montgomery County is Maryland\u2019s most populous county and holds the largest Jewish population in the state. It is also where roughly two-thirds of all antisemitic incidents take place in Maryland, which ranks ninth nationally for antisemitic reports. <\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4688871\/jewish-advocates-maryland-gun-ban-synagogues\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Jewish advocates fear historic Maryland public carry ban disarms synagogues<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/4688995\/hate-crime-charges-manhattan-synagogue-attack\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Hate crime charges filed after man disrupts Manhattan synagogue service<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/4688938\/suspect-arrested-virginia-state-university-shooting\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Suspect arrested in Virginia State University shooting that left five injured, one critically<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That triggered the perfect setup for a clash in July, when the county passed a law criminalizing the carrying of a licensed firearm in or within 100 yards of \u201ca place of public assembly,\u201d which includes synagogues. The new regulation sparked uproar from critics who expressed concern that it has effectively disarmed synagogues in an era and area where Rabbi Menashe Shapiro says members are grappling with intensifying antisemitism. <\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Along with the Department of Justice, the Silver Spring Jewish Center is now suing to block the law, with Shapiro, one of its affiliated rabbis, telling the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> that Montgomery County is the \u201conly place\u201d in the United States where a house of worship is not allowed to have its members or its staff carry inside the building. The synagogue believes it has a strong case, hoping precedent is on its side due to the Supreme Court\u2019s<em> Wolford v. Lopez <\/em>ruling in June, which <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/second-amendment\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"1043\">Second Amendment<\/a> advocates viewed as a decisive victory for the public carrying of licensed firearms.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis is pretty rare because most governments \u2014 state, county, local, city \u2014 doesn\u2019t matter, most governments, even in the United States, even if they\u2019re very really anti-gun \u2026 I think they recognize that houses of worship are sacrosanct, and they can, they should set their own rules, and they can set their own rules, and we don\u2019t want to disarm them,\u201d Shapiro said during an interview, noting that several other synagogues in the area have expressed interest in joining the lawsuit.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The new law allows for outside licensed security personnel to carry firearms to protect the synagogues and other places of public assembly where guns are otherwise banned. The regulation would not allow synagogues to keep their internal volunteer security teams in place, which promises to have sweeping repercussions for the community. <\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThey could pay someone to do that, but they could not pay someone to do it to the same extent that is to provide security to the same extent that their volunteer member security team does, because that would be prohibitively expensive,\u201d New Civil Liberties Alliance senior litigation counsel Jacob Huebert, who is representing the synagogue, said. \u201cThis synagogue is open every day from early in the morning until rather late at night, and they would need a guard for all of that time. Also, it\u2019s their belief that under Jewish law it is better for them to provide for their own defense rather than outsource that to other people, and the law prevents them from doing that, and that\u2019s part of our First Amendment claim.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Prior to the July passage of the law, the Silver Spring Jewish Center and synagogues provided security through volunteer members of their congregations who held weapons permits from the state or a bodyguard licensure card. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019m not aware of a single Orthodox community in our neighborhood that does not have a volunteer security committee,\u201d Shapiro said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhat is interesting, or what people might not realize, is that it means that we have more firearms experience or training than most police officers because after their initial qualification, they usually only have to go to the range every six months,\u201d he added. \u201cThe volunteer team\u2026most of us probably are at firearm ranges or other gun trainings every two weeks.\u201d <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Proponents of the law believe it is aimed at protecting people from gun violence. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019ll reaffirm my support for any and all measures that we can take to reduce gun violence,\u201d Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich said earlier this month. \u201cOur job is to try to protect people. And gun legislation is important in accomplishing that.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s really hard for me to reconcile the Constitution with the blanket, you know, \u2018Anybody can have a gun, anywhere, any time\u2019 kind of mentality. Because, you know, what the Constitution talks about is a well-regulated militia,\u201d he added. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But critics contend that it poses a special danger to the Jewish community due to its prohibition on firearms within 100 yards of a place of public assembly. People can carry a firearm in their car at that distance, but not if they are walking. For observant Montgomery County Jews, who must walk to synagogues on their Sabbath, that would essentially prohibit them from carrying a weapon to defend themselves while navigating to worship, as they would most likely be passing by parks, schools, churches, libraries, and other qualifying places of \u201cpublic assembly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt makes it impossible to get to any of the houses of worship without violating that 100-yard barrier,\u201d Shapiro said. \u201cJust for my own personal walk, my backyard is a school, so as soon as I walk out of the house, I\u2019m within 100 yards of a school. But I pass in front of two public schools, two private schools, two parks, and three other houses of worship before I get to my own synagogue.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-26\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-5\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Progress in advancing the case has been slow because Montgomery County officials have stalled the process and the judge involved does not view a resolution as urgent, according to Shapiro. The judge questioned why plaintiffs waited until now to sue, when the initial version of the law was passed in 2021, he said. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shapiro argued that it wasn\u2019t until there was a \u201csea change\u201d in attitudes toward the Jewish community in the area following Hamas\u2019s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that there was a real need for more protection, as antisemitic incidents \u201cspiked.\u201d The original law was then <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/marylandmatters.org\/2023\/11\/28\/judge-montgomery-county-gun-law-preempted-by-state-law\/\">tossed out <\/a>in November 2023, dissolving the need for a lawsuit at the time, but was revitalized in the latest regulation that the county passed in July, he said. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The law sparked controversy as synagogues in the county raised concerns that antisemitism has risen in the area. Last year, a member of the Silver Spring Jewish Center was attacked with a cane by an \u201cunstable\u201d person and taken to the hospital, Shapiro said, putting the congregation on edge. This year, an intruder attempted to get into the synagogue early in the morning. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Overall, antisemitic incidents in Maryland plummeted last year, compared to 2024. But incidents remain at record highs compared to the start of the decade, appearing to mark a lingering escalation in antisemitism. In 2025, Maryland saw 181 antisemitic incidents, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wypr.org\/the-baltimore-banner\/2023-03-30\/antisemitic-incidents-nearly-double-in-maryland-in-2022-over-previous-year-audit-finds\">according to<\/a> the Anti-Defamation League\u2019s annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents. The number is a steep drop from 356 in 2024, but a surge from 20 incidents in 2019. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4516016\/jewish-european-deteriorating-spiking-antisemitism\/\"><strong>JEWISH EUROPEANS FACE DETERIORATING \u2018NORMAL\u2019 AS ADVOCATES WARN SPIKING ANTISEMITISM A \u2018MUTATING VIRUS\u2019<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As concerns rise, Shapiro said he\u2019s noticed an increasing interest in \u201cAliyah,\u201d the process in which Jews immigrate to Israel. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI just saw an email in our communal, like the Montgomery County Jews neighborhood email list, and they were asking if anybody had gone through the Aliyah process, meaning to get Israeli citizenship without any current or imminent intention to leave\u2014they just want the safety of having the second passport,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t think we would have had that discussion, or people would have been talking about that before October seventh. Which is ironic, of course, because they\u2019re talking about fleeing to effectively a war zone.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Maryland\u2019s largest county faces antisemitism and gun law clash<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3142,"featured_media":2645860,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP25216694891437-e1786892177608.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[64736,84263,84264],"class_list":["post-2645859","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-jewish-advocacy","tag-maryland-gun-laws","tag-synagogue-security"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP25216694891437-e1786892177608.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2645859","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3142"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2645859"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2645859\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2645863,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2645859\/revisions\/2645863"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2645860"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2645859"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2645859"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2645859"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}