local
South Jersey Federation Launches
Regional Security Partnership
Jarrad Saff ren | Staff Writer
O n the upstairs fl oor of the
Katz JCC in Cherry Hill, New
Jersey, two retired police
offi cers sit facing computer monitors.

The township’s former police chief,
William “Bud” Monaghan, walks in
and out from his offi ce down the hall.

Above the heads of the offi cers, empty
sockets stand on the wall, waiting
for the television screens that will be
placed there in the coming weeks.

Soon enough, this small room with
no windows will become the headquar-
ters for Jewish security in 11 New
Jersey counties and Delaware.

The ex-cops can already type any
suspicious person’s name into an
intelligence search engine, called
Ontic, to fi nd the information they
need. Once the TVs are on the wall,
they will also be able to look at any
synagogue, Jewish community center
or other organization in the network.

The program, titled JFed Security, is
an agency within the Jewish Federation
of Southern New Jersey. But it also
extends beyond the South Jersey
federation’s territory of Camden,
Burlington and Gloucester counties.

Federations covering counties as far
north as Warren and as far south as
Cape May are partners in this eff ort.

The Jewish Federation of Delaware
has also opted in. Monaghan is the
agency’s executive director, with three
full-time offi cers on his team.

JFed was made possible by the
Jewish Federations of North America’s
$130 million LiveSecure campaign,
announced in 2021 to help secure
Jewish communities during an era
of rising antisemitism. The South
Jersey federation received a grant
worth $250,000. It also had to raise
$500,000 to satisfy the program’s
two-to-one fundraising requirement.

Partner federations will have to match
the cost of the program in years two
and three, according to Monaghan.

The Jewish Federation of Greater
Philadelphia is not a part of this eff ort.

The Philadelphia Federation has
contracted its security to the Secure
Community Network, which describes
itself as “the offi cial safety and security
organization for the Jewish community
in North America.”
“It’s about having the connections
within the community to leverage those
relationships for information sharing,”
said Monaghan of the New Jersey and
Delaware partnership.

Antisemitic incidents have risen in
the United States since 2015, accord-
ing to the Anti-Defamation League.

In 2022, the ADL counted 3,697
antisemitic incidents, a 36% increase
from 2021. In South Jersey less than
two years ago, swastika stickers and
drawings appeared at a synagogue
and a school, respectively.

A regional partnership will take a
proactive approach to fi ghting antisem-
itism, according to Monaghan. It will
be similar to how local police depart-
ments operate. They share resources,
information and manpower. If an
80 th Anniversary of the
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
April 16, 2023 • 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Horwitz-Wasserman Holocaust Memorial Plaza
1619 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Join us to commemorate the six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust and to honor the
Survivors in our communities, featuring candle lighting, music, readings and prayers.

Among our special guests will be Governor Josh Shapiro and Archbishop Nelson J. Perez, Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Registration is recommended – visit jewishphilly.org/yom-hashoah-2023
For more information: 215.832.0652 or jholtzman@jewishphilly.org. In the event of rain, the event will take place at
Congregation Rodeph Shalom, 615 N Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19123
Association of Jewish
Holocaust Survivors
of Philadelphia
8 APRIL 6, 2023 | JEWISH EXPONENT



local
Todd, Howard, and Zachary Katz, want to BUY your:
diamonds, gold, watches, silver, coins, and estate jewelry.

We have been buying in the Delaware Valley for over 44 years
and we pay more because we know the value of
your diamonds & jewelry.

Meet us at our office (appointments preferred)
or we will come to you:
Katz Imports
723 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
215-238-0197 Photo by Jarrad Saff ren
Howard’s cell: 215-850-6405
Diamondpaige2@hotmail.com Deputy Director John Moyer examines information on his computer.

incident happens in Warren County, a
shul leader in Cape May County can
learn about it.

“The threat level doesn’t stop at
territorial boundaries,” Monaghan said.

“It’s critical that we have a consistent
umbrella for communities.”
Rabbi Aaron Krauss, who leads Beth
El Synagogue in Margate, said that,
“We haven’t had any serious problems
in this immediate area.” But he added
that shul leaders and congregants
are concerned about “what happens
elsewhere.” “We’d rather be safe than sorry,” he
concluded. Rabbi Nathan Weiner, who guides
Congregation Beth Tikvah in Marlton,
said that, last week, the synagogue
received proselytization materials in
the mail about converting Jews to
Christianity. He took photos of the
materials and sent them to the offi cers
at the Katz JCC. They confi rmed
receipt, but have not reached out to
Weiner since. The rabbi is fi ne with
that. “I trust that they’re doing what needs
to be done,” he said. “That nothing is
something.” When JFed receives information,
it can enter names, phone numbers
and email addresses into Ontic.

During a demonstration for the Jewish
Exponent, Deputy Director John Moyer
typed in the name of an upcoming
speaker at a nearby synagogue. Social
media posts, articles and other publicly
available information populated on the
screen. The speaker is not a suspicious
character. Moyer was able to fi gure
that out in seconds.

But if there ever is one attacking a
synagogue, community leaders should
call the police, according to Monaghan.

JFed is not a law enforcement unit. It is
another layer of security for the Jewish
community. But Jewish leaders should
still contact JFed about emergencies.

There is an incident report form on
jewishsouthjersey.org. There are also
two phone lines: JFed Security at
856-673-2500 and the Duty Desk at
844-SCN-DESK. The ex-cops in the small room with
no windows are ready for your call.

They are not Jewish. But they have still
sworn “to protect and serve,” said Sean
Redmond, another deputy director.

“Being brought onto this is helping
people and that’s what I like to do,”
Moyer said. ■
jsaff ren@midatlanticmedia.com
ENJOY OUR
WARMTH! Join the warmth and friendliness that is
Paul’s Run. Enjoy friends in our brand new
dining venues. There is so much to love about
living at Paul’s Run!
VISIT OUR NEW
APARTMENT STYLES!!
Retirement Community
Contact Jennifer and Rebecca to schedule your personal visit at
1-877-859-9444 PaulsRun.org/Welcome
9896 Bustleton Avenue • Philadelphia, PA 19115
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM 9