By Jenny Awford for MailOnline
European Jews are too afraid to go to the synagogue on religious holidays because of the rise in anti-semitic attacks and terror threats, a poll has revealed.
The survey found that 70 per cent of Jews will avoid going to the synagogue on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur this year - despite increased security measures.
It was based on the answers from 78 rabbis and Jewish community leaders throughout Europe - from Britain to Ukraine.
Some 75 per cent said they had noticed heightened security at Jewish schools and synagogues in response to the increase in terror attacks and hate crimes.
The survey was carried out by the European Jewish Association (EJA) and the Rabbinical Center of Europe (RCE).
It also showed the number of active members in Jewish communities is dwindling with around half of leaders saying they had noticed a decrease.
Just 11 per cent reported a rise and 39 per cent reported no change.
EJA and RCE General Director Rabbi Menachem Margolin told the Jerusalem Post that he believes the sharp drop in attendance is a result of anti-Semitism.
'The challenge for most of the Jewish communities has doubled in recent months,' he said.
'Currently the focus of the extreme right and their activity is focused on Islamophobia, but testimonies of rabbis and community leaders show a great deal of concern about growing nationalism and xenophobia, also against the Jews of Europe,' Rabbi Margolin warned.
He called for governments to tackle the problem at the 'root' with education.
'Counter-terrorism is of course an important measure to save lives - but not enough to solve the problem from the root,' he said.
In January this year, a gunman entered Paris' Hyper Cacher kosher supermarket, taking hostages and killing four Jewish men.
A month later, another gunman opened fire at Copenhagen's great synagogue, killing Danish-Israeli guard Dan Uzan, who was providing security for a bat mitzva.
Anti-Semitic incidents have also increased by more than 60 percent over the past year in London