Dozens of rabbis from across Europe are undergoing specialized self-defense and Krav Maga training in Eindhoven, Netherlands, as attacks on Israelis and those perceived as Jewish surge in European cities. The seminar, organized by the Rabbinical Center of Europe (RCE), the leading body representing over 850 rabbis continent-wide, responds to growing safety concerns.
Rabbi Menachem Margolin, RCE chairman and head of the European Jewish Association, called the situation a wake-up call for governments, urging stronger security around Jewish centers and harsher penalties for antisemitic attacks.
European rabbis training in self-defense
(Video: Rabbinical Center of Europe)
He noted that rabbis now face the risk of assault with every public outing. RCE director Rabbi Aryeh Goldberg said the training was prompted by requests from rabbis, who feel vulnerable and unprotected amid constant threats of physical attack.
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Since Hamas’ attack on October 7, 2023, and the ensuing war in Gaza, antisemitic incidents have skyrocketed. France reported a 350% surge, with a poll showing 64% of French citizens believe Jews have reason to fear for their lives. The UK saw a 450% increase, recording nearly 2,000 incidents in the first half of 2024 alone.
In the Netherlands, where the seminar took place, incidents spiked, including a firebomb attack on Israel’s UN embassy in March 2024, an assault on an Orthodox rabbi in an Utrecht mall in April, harassment of Israelis at Schiphol Airport that same month and a violent attack on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans after a match against Ajax in Amsterdam in November. The events highlight systemic failures in addressing the rising tide of antisemitism.