A German synagogue targeted in an attempted mass shooting this week had been upgraded to fortify its main entrance and install security cameras, measures that probably saved the lives of dozens of people hiding inside.

The attack on Wednesday in the city of Halle left two people dead but the number could have been much higher as the gunman failed to break through the synagogue door, despite repeatedly shooting at it and attempting to blast it open with an improvised bomb.

Frustrated by his failure, the man went on a rampage in the surrounding streets, while about 70 people inside hid behind chairs and tables. The head of the Jewish community in Halle, Max Privorotzki, said he was able to watch the attacker via a CCTV screen.

Federal prosecutors said on Friday that the suspect had confessed to the attack and to being motivated by antisemitism and right-wing extremism, during an interrogation lasting several hours.

Jewish communities across Europe have increasingly taken precautions to safeguard themselves against violence after a sharp rise in antisemitism.

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In 2015, the Halle synagogue received a grant from the security assistance fund, a project run by the Jewish Agency for Israel, the world’s largest Jewish non-profit organisation. The fund was set up after the deadly shootings at a Jewish school in Toulouse, France, in 2012.

The Jewish Agency chairman, Isaac Herzog, said the project had paid out about $11m (£9m) to Jewish communities for security equipment in more than 58 countries.

“We upgraded and donated the entire security equipment for the community in Halle,” he said, adding that the New York-based Helmsley Charitable Trust provided the money. “That donation saved lives.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The head of the Jewish community in Halle, Max Privorotzki, speaks outside the synagogue. Photograph: Hannibal Hanschke/Reuters

Community centres and synagogues have also been equipped with alarms, locks, and reinforced walls and windows.

The 27-year-old suspect in the Halle attack had, according to German’s general prosecutor, deliberately chosen to carry out an act of terrorism” on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, knowing the number of people in the synagogue would be higher than normal.

Identified by German media as Stephan Balliet, he broadcast his attack from a camera on his helmet. Documents released online by Balliet showed he had noticed the synagogue had implemented security measures, including surveillance cameras and a door “that can only be opened by someone inside with an electric door panel”.

After the gunman began shooting, a volunteer security guard secured the entrance while worshippers barricaded themselves inside. By the end of the attack, the gunman, whose assault was hindered when his homemade weapons repeatedly jammed, had shot dead a woman outside the synagogue and a man in a nearby kebab shop.

German police have been criticised for a slow response, and the interior minister later announced it would permanently improve security measures at synagogues across the country.

Herzog said there was concern at why there was no police already at the synagogue. “It was clear that there was a standing order throughout Germany, during the [Jewish] high holidays, to make sure they were all very well protected,” he said.

Herzog wrote a pointed letter on Thursday to Angela Merkel, saying the Halle attack “should sound the alarm loud and clear throughout Europe”.

He called on the German chancellor to ensure security around synagogues and Jewish institutions was given high priority, especially during the week-long Jewish holiday of Sukkot , which starts on Sunday evening, when Jews will congregate in synagogues and community centres.

He added: “I also ask, with due respect, that you deploy all necessary efforts to actively and effectively combat antisemitism through legislation, enforcement and education.”



