While just 2% of the United States population, Jews are the targets of more than 60% of religiously motivated hate crimes, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) data. In 2022, efforts were set by the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia to combat the rise in antisemitism through education, security measures and community collaborations.
In September of that year, the Jewish Federation entered into a partnership with the Secure Community Network (SCN), the official safety and security organization of the Jewish community in North America. At that time, the local Jewish Federation brought on Scott Kerns from SCN to assume the role of director of security.
Kerns built and solidified relationships with the region’s 90 synagogues and more than 130 Jewish institutions, including schools, summer camps and social service agencies. Augmenting the Jewish Federation’s advocacy and educational work already in place, the first year of the collaboration with SCN provided 1,000 community members with Counter Active Threat, Stop the Bleed and BeAware (situational awareness) trainings, and 145 security walkthroughs, consultations and risk assessments. Kerns was also instrumental in planning or providing security for 15 Jewish events held within the Greater Philadelphia region.
“The Jewish Federation agreement with Secure Community Network has been extremely beneficial for both agencies since its inception,” said Kerns, who has a background of 24 years as an FBI special agent. “This agreement has really shown its necessity, especially post-Oct. 7.”
A part of the strategic security initiative included hiring two security grant writers to assist local Jewish agencies in applying for and obtaining security equipment to outfit their facilities. Kerns worked closely with the grant writers to provide accurate and detailed threat assessments for the institutions applying.
One of the institutions that went through the process was Kesher Israel, which was granted $150,000 through Federal security grants.
“Scott’s security assessments and training helped us as a congregation understand what our security protocols should look like,” said Kesher Israel Director Lannine Hulnick. “It helps us speak to our congregation confidently about how secure we feel our facility is and helps us to be mindful, cautious and alert.”
A total of $1.5 million was awarded to 16 institutions. “Our grant writers did an excellent job, and for the first year of this security grants initiative, I consider this a win,” said Kerns. Preparations are already underway for the next round of applications.
Just after marking a year of the partnership, Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7. In the three months following the initial attacks, the Jewish Federation’s partners at Secure Community Network logged a staggering 2,628 antisemitic incident reports –more incidents than the entirety of 2022.
In those initial weeks following Oct. 7, Kerns fielded approximately 150 daily emails and calls from the local Jewish community, seeking additional support and guidance. Leveraging assistance and resources from the SCN team, the Jewish Federation successfully addressed the heightened security needs in the community.
“Having SCN staff and subject matter experts supporting me through this difficult period was nothing short of amazing – a true team effort,” said Kerns.
As thousands of Greater Philadelphians came out in support of Israel through marches and rallies, Kerns was at the helm, coordinating with local law enforcement departments on security detail to keep the community safe.
In the wave of heightened antisemitism that has since flooded colleges and universities, Kerns and the Jewish Federation’s Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) have worked closely with partners on and off campuses to protect Jewish students and staff.
The collaboration also recently implemented a groundbreaking crisis communications and student accountability platform for preschool through high school families, called RUVNA. In order to allow for high enrollment in the system, the Jewish Federation is covering upfront costs, training, software installations, maintenance and the first-year costs for local Jewish day schools and preschools.
Now in its second year, the Jewish Federation and SCN partnership remains proactive in addressing antisemitic threats, steadfast in its commitment to supporting the Jewish community’s security needs.
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You can help secure your local community by making a donation at jewishphilly.org/livesecure.