Jewish Federations of North America are grateful to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for awarding $300 million in Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) funds to faith-based institutions and other nonprofit organizations. 

 

These federal dollars will allow both Jewish and other grantees to bolster security at a time of escalating threats. Jewish Federations recently released data showing that the Jewish American community spends over $1 billion on security needs each year, an unsustainable sum for philanthropy to cover alone. These grants are a crucial step towards alleviating the burden that Jewish institutions face – especially in the three years since October 7 – as they work to prevent tragedies like the violent attacks in Washington, D.C., Boulder, CO, Jackson, MS, and West Bloomfield, MI.  

 

“The federal government has a responsibility to ensure its citizens, regardless of faith, can practice freely and safely, and we thank Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin for the timely awarding of these $300 million in grants, which will provide much-needed relief,” said Eric D. Fingerhut, President and CEO of Jewish Federations of North America. “The need for NSGP support, however, still far outpaces supply, which is why Congress must move swiftly to pass the bipartisan Jewish American Security Act and fully fund the NSGP at $1 billion.” 

 

Alongside partners on both sides of the aisle, Jewish Federations have been at the forefront of the push to pass the Jewish American Security Act (JASA). This comprehensive legislation would authorize $1 billion in NSGP funding and help vulnerable communities across the U.S. fill the security gaps they currently face by bolstering local law enforcement, tackling online antisemitism, and enacting new protections against campus antisemitism.