Jewish Federations eye security improvements for communities

The Jewish Federations of North America, or JFNA, is aiming to give Jewish communities across the country training and know-how to help them respond to security threats. The organization has embarked on an initiative, called LiveSecure, to bolster security in Jewish communities by launching new security programs or enhancing ones they already have.

The push comes amid heightened fears about the vulnerability of Jewish institutions and antisemitic incidents. The Anti-Defamation League counted 2,024 cases of harassment, vandalism and assault in the US in 2020, the third highest on record since the Jewish civil rights group began tracking incidents in 1979.

The ultimate goal of JFNA’s initiative is to raise $126 million across the federations network over three years, and ensure all 146 communities where Jewish federations are currently located have security hubs, up from 45 today. JFNA itself is aiming to raise $54 million of that, a majority of which is earmarked for local Jewish federations that also raise their own funds.

Flower pots, each with a name of one of the 11 worshippers killed on October 27, 2018, when a gunman opened fire as worship services began at the Tree of Life Synagogue, line the fence surrounding the synagogue on October 26, 2019, in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)