Following a wave of recent antisemitic attacks, Jewish members of Congress and their allies say they are increasingly concerned for their personal safety.

Several lawmakers told the Washington Examiner they’ve seen a rise in antisemitic threats in recent months and described heightened security measures as a necessary precaution.

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“I got five death threats my first week,” said freshman Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL), who took office in early April after winning a special election.

Fine, who is Jewish and outspokenly pro-Israel, keeps his office on Capitol Hill locked at all times, a precaution he’s carried over from his days in the Florida legislature. With tensions rising, he said he no longer feels safe walking outside to cast votes and now opts for the underground tunnels instead.

“I have two choices. I can go downstairs and take the tunnel, which is theoretically secured, or I can walk out of the building across the street, walk outside, enjoy the weather, see the capital, which is not secured,” Fine explained during an interview in his Capitol Hill office. “Lately, I’ve been thinking hmm, maybe I’ll take the tunnels.”

Fine emphasized that the threat is not abstract or distant; Jewish Americans, he said, are genuinely afraid.

“It feels like open hunting season has been declared on Jews in America, and we have got to shut it down and stop living in the world that we wish it was,” Fine said.

Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH) sounded the alarm over a wave of antisemitic violence sweeping the country, stating bluntly, “They’re killing Jews.” In an interview with the Washington Examiner, he added, “I’ve received a lot of threats, other Jewish members have received a lot of threats, so I hope they’re taking it seriously.”

Recent attacks have intensified those concerns. In Colorado, a man wielding a homemade flamethrower injured 12 people at a rally in support of Israeli hostages. That incident occurred less than two weeks after two Israeli Embassy employees were fatally shot outside a Jewish community event in Washington, D.C. And on the first night of Passover, someone attempted to burn down the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion while Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA), who is Jewish, and his family were inside. 

Authorities said the suspects in both the Colorado and Washington attacks shouted “Free Palestine” during the assaults. In Pennsylvania, the arsonist later said the fire was an act of revenge for Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.

Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN), a Christian, voiced urgent concerns during a GOP conference meeting on Wednesday, saying he “raised a little hell” over the lack of protection for Jewish lawmakers.

“I’m concerned, Jews are getting targeted, man. We better wake our a** up because they’re gonna get somebody in Congress, and it’s real,” Burchett told the Washington Examiner in an interview. 

Burchett said Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) was receptive to the concerns and is working on a response. For Burchett, the issue is personal — his father fought in World War II, his uncle was killed by the Nazis, and he helped build a Holocaust memorial in Knoxville. “Mike Johnson is a lawyer’s lawyer, and I’m not. I told him, ‘Do it. Figure out a way to do it,’” he said.

Burchett added that he plans to bring the issue directly to President Donald Trump and the White House.

“I will make an inquiry to President Trump and the White House because I think it’s that important,” Burchett said.

Fine said Burchett’s actions deeply moved him. “It made me very, very emotional,” he said. “I’ll never forget it. There are four of us [Jewish Republicans], and I texted him afterward just to say thank you.” 

Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) said his visibility as a Jewish lawmaker has required increased security for years, particularly after he became a frequent target of Trump. 

“We do a good job protecting the building,” he said. “Much less of a good job protecting the people inside it.” Schiff added that many of his Jewish colleagues are growing increasingly alarmed by the rise in violence.

For Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), the threat evokes painful memories. His father fled Nazi Germany in the 1930s, and Wyden recalled how his parents warned him often about the dangers of antisemitism. 

“Every one of these [attacks] brings it back,” he said. While he didn’t comment on whether he fears for his own safety, Wyden called antisemitism “a plague on the nation” and said he’s committed to fighting it in every way possible.

Alongside growing safety fears, lawmakers are pushing to restore and expand funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which helps synagogues and other vulnerable institutions pay for security upgrades. Ron Halber, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, is urging Congress to raise the program’s funding to $1 billion. 

But despite the surge in threats, the program’s budget was cut by $30.5 million this March, falling from $305 million to $274.5 million, as part of broader federal spending reductions.

Halber emphasized that security funding for Jewish organizations and places of worship varies by location and is severely underfunded. 

“The money is distributed according to need and population, but only about half the states in the country have a state program,” he explained. “The current program is desperately underfunded. You know, only 43% of the applicants last year were funded, and the application process is long. It’s cumbersome. It takes a lot of time to turn around to get the money into the field.”

Fine agreed that security grants are critical, but stressed that states shouldn’t wait for Washington to act. He pointed to his own work in Florida, where he helped double state funding and establish a separate security initiative for Jewish schools. Still, he warned that defensive measures alone aren’t enough. 

“It starts with deporting every illegal immigrant. It starts with revisiting visas from these places that hate us. And it starts with shutting down this garbage on universities,” he explained. “We have to designate the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization.”

Nicknamed the “Hebrew Hammer” during his time in the Florida legislature, Fine said he’s been embracing that identity in Congress. He began wearing a kippah daily after his 17-year-old son urged him to show solidarity with Jewish students who feel unsafe on campus.

“I got so many great reactions from people. And then my son’s like, ‘Dad, I think you should keep doing it until the kids feel safe,’ but now I feel like I have a target on my head,” Fine said.

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Still, he questioned whether Congress would extend words of support or take concrete steps.

“I’m going to expect action,” he said. “I got that nickname for a reason, and they’re about to find out why.”

Lauren Green contributed to this report.