Tell The White House To Protect The Nonprofit Security Grant Program

I receive emails and updates from dozens of Jewish organizations and Israel related groups every single day. I'm not saying I receive more email than anyone else, but I'll match my inbox with anyone's. I receive at least 200 - 250 emails every single day and must prioritize the important ones from the less important ones. The truth is that they are all important. Yet some are of more immediate concern than others.

I received an email from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) yesterday that I want to bring to the attention of the community. I want to share its contents with you for a variety of reasons, among them to explain how spending priorities in Washington directly affect Jewish communities and synagogues just like ours throughout the country. Jewish organizations administer a variety of government funds and grants that pay for all types of programs and activities. These grants fund social service projects administered by agencies like our local Jewish Federation of Northern NJ and Jewish Family and Children Services. They fund senior citizens' activities and meal programs for low income families administered by Jewish Community Centers. Special federal grants fund the Nonprofit Security Grant Program which provides hundreds of millions of dollars per year to non-profit organizations to protect themselves and harden their facilities against vandalism, harassment, and violence. The lion’s share of these grants has gone to synagogues, Jewish Day Schools and Yeshivot due the sheer number of threats directed against the Jewish community  Dozens of Jewish institutions in Northern NJ alone have received these grants.  Many of these important projects are at risk as federal funding across many agencies has been frozen.

This Shabbat message is not about criticizing the Trump administration, or making a statement about what the Democrats or Republicans should be doing. This week, I simply want you to understand how this terrible decision to freeze this important government spending threatens communities like ours, and what we can do about it.

The JCCP/CBT has been the recipient of several hundred thousand dollars in federal homeland security grants administered through the Nonprofit Security Grant Program. These grants are a part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and are administered by state governments. It's a terribly complicated process, but one that has been of immense value to the Jewish community. Our synagogue has used these grants to pay for new security doors, improved cameras and upgraded security systems, new lighting outside our building, blast resistant film for windows and glass, as well as several other projects that we hope to complete by the fall. Now, all that money has been frozen. In some states, New Jersey among them, approved grants are still being funded.  But in other states, organizations with approved grants who have laid out tens or even hundreds of thousand dollars must now wait for reimbursement, without any idea or information regarding when or if the funds will be available. And there has been no information about funding for future grants.

These grants have protected many Jewish communities. We know of synagogues, like Temple Ner Tamid in Bloomfield, NJ. and schools that have been attacked and were able to ward off the threat due to their enhanced security and hardened facility which was paid for by these grants. The continued freeze on this spending will jeopardize Jewish lives. It is that simple.

The email from ADL explained the scope of the problem and recommended writing directly to the White House to express your concern. As soon as I reviewed the information, I sent a letter. I hope you will take a moment to do so as well.

Our communal safety is at stake. Please click the following link for more information and to send your own email of concern to Washington right now. I urge you to do so without delay.