A Maryland County Unconstitutionally Disarmed Jews Facing Antisemitic Threats, a Synagogue Says

Montgomery County, Maryland, banned firearms in places of public assembly, including houses of worship, and within 300 feet of them. A federal judge later allowed permit holders to carry guns inside the Silver Spring Jewish Center but left the buffer zone in place. The synagogue and a congregant have now appealed, arguing that the remaining restriction makes it difficult to carry guns to the building and violates their constitutional rights.

The plaintiffs say the synagogue has faced antisemitic threats, including an attack on a visibly Jewish member in October 2024 and an attempted entry in June 2026. The synagogue formed an armed volunteer security team, whose members include congregant and ordained rabbi Menashe Shapiro. The appeal argues that the 300-foot rule burdens both armed self-defence and religious practice, particularly for Orthodox Jews who walk to synagogue on the Sabbath; it also challenges the county’s historical justification for the restriction under the Supreme Court’s 2022 Bruen ruling.