Volunteer Member Among Injured in Jewish House of Worship Attack
One of the individuals injured during the recent attack at a synagogue in Manchester was working with the CST, an organization praised for preventing an more severe tragedy.
Recognizable Sight of Volunteers
The sight of volunteers in the charity's high-visibility bibes has become a common sight at Hebrew places of worship, schools, and other locations in recent years.
Over many years, the organization has also shaped government strategies by monitoring and fighting antisemitism, while additionally countering hostility against other communities.
Rising Anti-Jewish Offenses
Over the past 24 months since the October 7th, 2023 attacks in Israel and the start of the war in Gaza, the charity's staffing has grown by approximately 33% amid a surge in anti-Jewish crimes.
Based on government figures, there were 3,282 religious hate crimes aimed at individuals of Jewish faith in the 12 months ending March 2024, an increase from 1,543 in the previous year.
Separate data from the organization itself, derived from the number of anti-Jewish events notified to the charity, recorded 1,521 antisemitic incidents across the UK in the initial six months of the current year.
Chart displays average number of hate crimes recorded per 10,000 people, categorized by the perceived religion of the victim.
Longstanding Documentation and Training
While it became charity status in the mid-1990s, the Community Security Trust and its forerunners have been recording and releasing anti-Jewish event figures in the UK since 1984.
Today, its activities include over a hundred employees and 2,000 dedicated helpers who receive comprehensive instruction in subjects ranging from emergency medical care to carrying out protective tasks.
While its volunteers have been hurt in the previous incidents, the severe injuries to a staff member in Manchester is considered the gravest yet.
Leadership Response and Protection Measures
"We pray for his continuing recovery and salute the courage of all those who assisted in halting the attacker from getting into the shul," said the CST’s chief executive.
The CST presence at locations often comprises a mixture of its own volunteers, such as educated members, as well as contracted protection officers.
As a recipient of funding from the government, the CST distributes an £18m government grant that covers professional security services.
These were deployed last year at sites encompassing 200 nurseries, two hundred sixty synagogues, and 50 prominent communal buildings.
The CST itself depends on contributions.
Broader Activities and Partnerships
Not as apparent is the trust's broader efforts in education, providing security guidance, and its established study into anti-Jewish sentiment from sources such as far-right extremists and radical Islamists.
These efforts in this sphere have contributed to cases including the jailing in 2021 of a man who was then one of the UK’s most active extremist anti-Jewish video streamers.
National security forces were notified about his activity by the CST.
The non-profit also collaborates extensively with allies including Tell Mama – the UK-wide initiative that documents and measures anti-Muslim incidents in the UK, and which has referred to the CST’s work as "groundbreaking."
Both are in a formal partnership with additional anti-hate organizations as part of the Community Alliance to Combat Hate partnership.
Additional Initiatives and Community Involvement
The trust's operations, which other communities have utilized, also includes its guide for security procedures for religious sites.
Additionally, it runs customized teen safety courses for teenagers in conjunction with Maccabi GB, under the Streetwise initiative.
Other work includes partnerships with the police and with elected officials, while it holds frequent meetings with ministers and feeds into public strategies on anti-Jewish issues.
While the CST works across the Hebrew population, an group called a community watch organization also monitors anti-Jewish sentiment and works on behalf of Haredi Jewish communities.
