They\u2019re packing heat \u2013 and some nosh.<\/p>\n
A new Jewish-owned and -operated shooting club is catering to communal safety concerns ahead of Rosh Hashanah<\/a>, the Jewish new year that begins Monday at sundown. <\/p>\n Plenty of ammo is in the offing \u2014 along with bagels and schmear to kick off every session.<\/p>\n \u201cLox & Loaded was born out of necessity<\/a>, sadly,\u201d said Ian Friedman, a rep for the national member-based club, which has three thriving New York chapters.<\/p>\n The Jewish-owned shooting club Lox & Loaded started as a way to help Jews practice self-defense amid the rise in antisemitism in recent years. Courtesy of Lox & Loaded<\/p>\n The group\u2019s New York chapter meetings feature bagels and other Jewish deli treats. Courtesy of Lox & Loaded<\/p>\n Friedman told The Post that Lox & Loaded\u2019s national tactical firearms training has quickly become an appetizing option for those seeking safety \u2014 specifically around Jewish holidays and generally since Hamas\u2019 devastating Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack<\/a> on Israel that launched the ongoing war in Gaza and a relentless stream of antisemitism across the country and globe.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not about \u201cfearmongering\u201d but about \u201clearning how to avoid danger when possible, escape when necessary, and defend effectively when there is no other choice,\u201d according to the group\u2019s website.<\/p>\n Friedman said, \u201cSome people come to us after getting antisemitic threats\u201d and because they feel bombarded with grim news of surging antisemitism.<\/p>\n Noting that many members are firearm novices, he said, \u201cAt the very core, people were scared for the wellbeing of their children.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really traumatic, and it helps to have a place where people can go and talk about it,\u201d said Friedman, who himself bought a gun range in Illinois with the intention of helping people train in firearm safety in the aftermath of Oct. 7.\u00a0<\/p>\n Lox & Loaded has 15 chapters across 10 states \u2014 including three in New York. Courtesy of Lox & Loaded<\/p>\n It\u2019s not just middle-aged men loading guns \u2013 and carbs \u2014 with the group, which stresses, \u201cNever Again Means Being Ready.\u201d<\/p>\n Bubbes and zaydes well into their 80s are eschewing Mahjong and instead joining the club, which promotes \u201cself-reliance, safety, and strengthening the Jewish community\u201d through workshops, range days with certified instructors, experts in personal defense and speakers on Jewish history.<\/p>\n \u201cThey talk about what it was like to flee Europe and Russia and places where antisemitism\u201d flourished, Friedman said of the club\u2019s older members.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople are terrified that it\u2019s going to happen again,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The shooting club\u2019s motto is \u201cNever Again Means Being Ready.\u201d Courtesy of Lox & Loaded<\/p>\n Noting that the Nazis notoriously confiscated Jews\u2019 guns in the 1930s, Friedman said Lox & Loaded\u2019s members \u201csee this as a way to prevent that from happening again.\u201d<\/p>\n Since its early summer 2025 launch, the shooting club with the cheeky name ripped right out of the Borscht Belt has taken off like a bullet.<\/p>\n It currently has more than 1,000 members in 15 chapters across 10 states, with nine more chapters slated to launch in the next few weeks. In New York, there is a chapter in Nassau County on Long Island, another in Suffolk County, LI, and one in Westchester County.<\/p>\n Lox & Loaded spokesman Ian Friedman told The Post many members have joined because of safety concerns surrounding the Jewish high holidays. Courtesy of Lox & Loaded<\/p>\n The interest reflects \u201ca sad reality that this is what\u2019s necessary today,\u201d Friedman said.<\/p>\n During the first quarter of 2024, 54 percent of all New York City hate crimes were against Jews, according to the NYPD<\/a>, a number that rose to 62 percent during the same period in 2025.\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tStart your day with all you need to know\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMorning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n