Iran’s rocket attack on Israel on Tuesday evening caused scattered damage and fires from falling shrapnel, but authorities said no injuries were reported.

That’s a fact that Ron Halber, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, called “a miracle.”

However, Tuesday’s attack renews calls for more money to secure Jewish institutions in the DC region, as these sites remain on “high alert” since last year’s October 7 Hamas attack and its anniversary on the lurks.

“In my synagogue, if you have a bar mitzvah, you have to have a police officer,” Halber said.

Halber said more money is needed at the local and federal levels to help synagogues and schools pay for armed security.

“A synagogue could easily spend $150,000 to $250,000 a year hiring off-duty police officers at a rate of $90 an hour,” he said.

While the threat from foreign-based terrorist organizations is possible here in the U.S., Halber said he believes the greatest threat is from homegrown terrorists.

He added that he also realizes that the Jewish community is not alone in need of increased safety, citing previous threats against members of the Asian American community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s a sad fact that we have to spend this kind of money because I would rather see that money go to social programs and help people, but our first duty should be to protect American citizens,” Halber said.

In a statement to WTOP, a DC police spokesperson said that while there are no known threats to the city following Iran’s attack on Israel, the department is urging the community to remain vigilant.

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