BETHESDA, Md. (DC News Now) -- Montgomery County Department of Police (MCPD) increased its police presence throughout the county on the first anniversary of Hamas attacking Israel.  Police presence was prominent on Monday, particularly at Jewish congregations.  “If we’re having a bar mitzvah, if we’re having a worship service, any time we have more than a few people in our building, we have to have police because we need to make sure that somebody who could do us harm is deterred,” Ron Halber, CEO of the Jewish Relations Council, said.  Colleges brace for Oct. 7 anniversary Halber, who works with over 100 synagogues across the Washington Metropolitan said several synagogues across the country, including some in Maryland have seen an uptick in antisemitic attacks since the war in the Middle East began.  “We’re used to when events in the Middle East with Israel heat up that there are some repercussions impacting Jewish communities outside the state of Israel but nothing like this before,” Halber said.  According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), over 10,000 antisemitic incidents have occurred in the U.S. since Hamas attacked Israel. The staggering statistic is the highest number of incidents ever recorded by the ADL in a one-year period.  “It’s upsetting,” said Heather Garrett, executive director of Congregation Beth El, a Jewish synagogue in Bethesda that was vandalized last year. “I think the most frustrating thing is that the vandalism doesn’t achieve I think what the desired outcome is.”  The Congregation Beth El was vandalized repeatedly this past summer in a span of less than two weeks.  “There’s always fear and concern over security,” Garrett told DC News Now. “But I think that what we’ve experienced more is actually people showing up and wanting to be together in community.”  The Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management (OEMHS) has since announced a $1.2 million grant commitment to help protect faith-based organizations that have experienced or are at high risk of experiencing hate crimes Montgomery County leaders speak up against bias-related vandalism at schools, places of worship The measure is one Halber said would ease places of worship from the hefty tag having security brings.  “Hiring a police officer is a very burdensome expenditure. My own synagogue probably spends a quarter of a million dollars a year on security,” Halber said.  MCPD said Monday’s initiative to have more police presence in the county was part of proactive measures to ensure all residents remained safe. There were no imminent threats as of Monday afternoon in the county.