From Local Jewish Federation Real Estate Grants to Federal Investment: What Needs to be Done for Jewish Communal Security

- By Alan Lepore

On May 18 and 19, I had the privilege of convening with 400 Jewish professional and lay leaders who traveled to Washington, DC from 41 different states to advocate for the safety and security of the Jewish community. Our community.

Hearing from the parents of families impacted by the terrorist attack on Temple Beth Israel in Michigan, as well as from congregations across the country, has helped drive home the importance of the work we do here at the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia and its Jewish Federation Real Estate (JFRE) group.

Jewish communities across the country have spent $765 million annually on security costs, and that figure continues to rise. That $765 million is being taken out of budgets to help feed the needy, programming at synagogues, and scholarships to camps and day schools.

That is why it was important to come together and urge our congressional delegation to support key legislation:

• Passage of the SACRED Act, which prevents people from intimidation or harm within 100 feet of a place of worship;

• Passage of the Jewish American Security Act, which strengthens the ability to protect our communities and gives law enforcement additional tools to combat antisemitism; and

• An increase in the Nonprofit Security Grant Program from $500 million to $1 billion.

Antisemitism and violence against the Jewish community are the proverbial canary in the coalmine to broader, increased violent attacks on minority communities. It has been that way since before Oct. 7, before the Holocaust, back to ancient Roman times.

By supporting these pieces of legislation, it not only helps strengthen and secure our community, but also other religious communities that so often receive violent threats and acts against them.

These people that commit these acts of violence weren’t born with hatred in their hearts. Far too many angels populate the streets of heaven, and far too many of our relatives aren’t with us, because of this taught hatred. We need to continue to educate the public on the dangers of antisemitism and how it can corrode a society into meaninglessness through this radicalized behavior.

I am proud that JFRE has had, and continues to have, a direct impact on helping to secure our Jewish community. Since the terrorist attacks on Oct. 7 and the violent resurgence of antisemitism in the Greater Philadelphia region, JFRE has allocated $1.1 million in security infrastructure funding to local synagogues, camps and Hillels to name a few. I wish I could say that JFRE can pivot away from security infrastructure funding. But, I can’t. Not only do they have to keep their everyday operations going, but they also have to keep their congregants safe against the rising tides of hate.

What I can say is that JFRE will continue to be there and stand with our community and its security needs. Together, we can make it possible for every kid to come home safely from daycare at a synagogue or from camp at the end of a defining summer in the Poconos, without fear, without worry, and with the opportunity to build a bright future.

A Jewish Greater Philadelphia cohort met with Senator John Fetterman in May as part of a Washington, DC fly-in mission organized by the Jewish Federations of North America. Courtesy: Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia  

The Greater Philadelphia contingent met with Senator Dave McCormick to discuss security needs of the Jewish community.  

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Alan Lepore, MPA is the director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia’s Jewish Federation Real Estate (JFRE) group. JFRE brings professionals together to learn, network and lead the way in creating a more secure Jewish world through philanthropic investments. To learn more about JFRE, and how you can contribute to the JFRE Fund as a corporate sponsor or individual, visit jewishphilly.org/jfre or email jfre@jewishphilly.org.