It used to be that when Yali Elkin told Orthodox Jewish friends in Teaneck that he owned a gun, they thought he was crazy.

Not anymore.

After a spate of violent anti-Semitic attacks around the tri-state region — including a deadly shooting at a kosher grocery store in Jersey City and an attack by a machete-wielding assailant in Monsey, New York — some are reconsidering their aversion to firearms.

"Since the attack in Monsey, I've been contacted by at least 30 people from Lakewood, Monsey and Teaneck who wanted my advice about getting a gun," Elkin said, referring to three sizable Orthodox communities in New York and New Jersey. The prevailing notion is that "anyone who identifies as Jewish is a target these days."

Anti-Semitic incidents across the nation doubled over the five years leading up to 2018, with even higher numbers predicted for 2019, according to the Anti-Defamation League, which tracks violence against Jews. New Jersey ranks among the highest in the nation for such incidents.

As a result, police in Teaneck, Bergenfield and Lakewood, as well as in Rockland County, New York, all areas with large Jewish communities, said they have seen a spike in gun permit applications in recent weeks.

Some gun ranges and gun stores are reporting a surge among Jewish clientele as well.

Taking to the streets:March against anti-Semitism brings thousands to streets of New York

Anxiety:Officials try to reassure Teaneck community after anti-Semitic attacks in region

While Teaneck typically receives 20 applications a month, the Police Department received 30 in December and 30 in the first half of January alone, Chief Glen O'Reilly said. In response, the department added another employee to process firearms permits.

Bergenfield has also reported a jump in permit requests over the past month, with about 30 applications. That was double the monthly average, Lt. William Duran said.

New Jersey's gun laws are among the strictest in the nation: While private citizens can apply for a firearms identification card allowing them to purchase a weapon, obtaining permission to carry a gun in public is far harder.

Since the Dec. 28 machete attack at a Hanukkah party in Monsey, more than 100 permit applications were filed with the Rockland County clerk's office. That's a considerable increase from the 30 filed during November, and the 21 from Dec. 1 to 28, said Joseph Alongi, the deputy county clerk. The rise is likely linked to the attack, which left five people injured, he said.

In Toms River, Police Chief Mitchell Little said he sees an uptick in firearm permit applications every time there's an anti-Semitic attack. His department processed about 1,300 handgun permits in 2019.

Erik Melanson, manager of Precision Gunsmiths in Valley Cottage, New York, said shotguns and handguns have been flying off the shelves of the Hudson Valley shop in recent weeks. "There is a surge in Jewish people getting training and guns," he said, adding that business has gone up 30% since the attacks.

Business is also booming at Gun for Hire, a shooting range in Woodland Park.

Men in kippot, or religious head coverings, and women clad in the modest dress preferred by the Orthodox, frequently practice there, said manager Anthony Colandro. "Sometimes there's so many religious people here, you'd think you're in a synagogue," he quipped.

Among the newer customers is David, a longtime Teaneck resident and father of four who didn't want his real name used because guns are controversial among his friends and family. He and his wife never wanted one in their home, but the spate of anti-Jewish attacks forced them to reconsider, he said. After the Jersey City shooting, they applied for a permit.

If a shooter were to enter a crowded prayer service with an assault weapon, many worshipers could be injured or killed, said David, who recently joined the volunteer security team at his Orthodox synagogue. "Every minyan [prayer service] should have people carrying," he said.

"I see things getting worse in America," he said. "I hope I never need a gun to protect my family, but at least now I will be prepared."

Russel Kelner, the Passaic County-based president of the Golani R&P shooting club, said he has seen more Jews seek guns despite a "cultural aversion" to firearms in the community. Religious families tend to have more children, adding to worries about keeping a gun at home, he said.

"It's almost not considered Jewish to own a gun," Kelner said. "We are trying to change that perception, make sure Jews understand that ultimately they have to take the responsibility to defend themselves."

Research suggests stronger efforts to keep guns out of the hands of those who pose a threat would do more to increase safety, said Christian Heyne, vice president of policy at Brady, a Washington-based gun control advocacy group. He cited a 2014 study in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine that found firearms in the home increased the risk of suicide or homicide deaths.

"The impulse to bring a gun into one's home for self-protection is understandable, but it is important to acknowledge that research and data tells us owning a gun does not make one safer," Heyne said in an email.

Yet the desire for self-defense is strong. On a recent night in New York, Len Neuhaus of Manhattan punched, kicked and dodged his way through a rigorous self-defense course that left him sweaty but exhilarated.

"This has made me feel physically stronger and more aware of my surroundings," said Neuhaus, a 61-year-old who works in finance and belongs to an Orthodox synagogue. "I feel like I'm more able to protect myself and my family."

The session was hosted by Legion, a New York-based nonprofit that trains Jews through a course that combines martial arts with situational awareness and active-shooter drills.

Legion currently offers courses in six locations, including Manhattan, Brooklyn, Westchester and Connecticut. It's expanding to other cities in response to the growing demand, organizers said.

Neuhaus, whose father survived the Holocaust, signed up for classes after observing the slew of anti-Semitic attacks on Jews around New York. "As the child of a survivor, the increased anti-Semitic vitriol is most personal to me," he said. "People are getting more brazen."

The rise in attacks has motivated more people to protect their synagogues. The Community Security Service, or CSS, an organization devoted to temple security, has received many more volunteers lately, said New Jersey regional manager Deena Seelenfreund. "People feel helpless, and CSS is an organization that empowers individuals and communities," she said.

Still, some in the Orthodox community have frowned on the rush to arms. Shimon Rolnitzky, a Hasidic Jewish author and activist in Monsey, wrote an article for the Jewish Telegraphic Agency warning that Jews "must be wary of those who say that guns are the answer. From the time that haredi [ultra-Orthodox] children are very small, we learn to despise weapons."

Instead, Rolnitzky wrote, "It is critical that there should be stricter laws to ensure that no harmful guns and deadly weapons come into the hands of criminals, anti-Semites and terrorists who will use them to hurt innocent people."

Deena Yellin covers religion for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to her work covering how the spiritual intersects with our daily lives, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: yellin@northjersey.com Twitter: @deenayellin