ATLANTA — Hanukkah celebrations begin Sunday night and run through December 22, and Jewish leaders in Atlanta say heightened security measures are in place as the holiday gets underway.

The increased precautions come amid a rise in threats against Jewish communities in the United States following the October 7 Hamas attacks in Israel two years ago. “Threats have been coming in both online and direct,” said Rich Walter with the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta.

Walter said Jewish organizations are working closely with local law enforcement to ensure synagogues, community centers, and other facilities are safe during holiday gatherings.

“While Hanukkah is a less religious holiday, it is a time where a lot of our congregations and community organizations are going to have programming,” he said.

Walter estimates that Jewish organizations statewide have spent roughly $30 million on security in the past year alone, as antisemitic threats have become more common.

While Hanukkah is not the most significant holiday on the Jewish calendar, Walter said it is still a time when many people gather for events such as public menorah lightings, religious services, and cultural celebrations making security a priority.

“Whether it’s religious services, holiday observances, Jewish cultural opportunities, we don’t want anyone not participating out of a level of fear,” he said.

Walter emphasized that the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta continues to partner with law enforcement to protect community spaces and encouraged the broader public to recognize the humanity of those affected. He noted that Jewish people are friends, neighbors, and colleagues throughout the community.

Jewish leaders say the goal of the increased security is to allow families to celebrate Hanukkah safely and without fear.