local
State Extends Nonprofi t Security Grant
Program, Jewish Spaces to Benefi t
P ennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf signed
into law on Nov. 3 an amendment
to extend the Nonprofi t Security Grant
Program until 2029.

Th e grant program, created to give
funding to nonprofi t organizations
looking to bolster the security of their
facilities, serves many Jewish faith-
based organizations. Administered by
the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime
and Delinquency, the grant was created
in 2019 as part of Act 83 in response to
the Pittsburgh Tree of Life synagogue
shooting the year prior and was approved
to last fi ve years total.

Since its implementation three years
ago, the grant has given $20 million
to diff erent nonprofi t organizations,
including synagogues, Jewish commu-
nity centers, mosques and churches. In
2021, 30 of the grant recipients, receiving
$1,293,401 in combined grant allocations,
were Jewish organizations in the Jewish
Federation of Greater Philadelphia’s fi ve-
county perimeter.

“Th e need is clearly there,” said Robin
Schatz, Jewish Federation of Greater
Philadelphia director, government
aff airs. “Especially as antisemitic inci-
dents increase.”
Jewish leaders felt the extension of the
grant program by another fi ve years was
necessary to meet its high demand. Last
year, about 20% of applicants received
funding, according to Hank Butler, exec-
utive director of the Pennsylvania Jewish
Coalition. In 2019, 17% of applicants
received funding. In 2020, the number
was 30-35%.

“Th e argument is simple — that peo-
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House Bill 397 will amend Act 83
and extend the Non-Profi t Security
Grant Program until 2029.

ple who are applying are not getting
[funding],” Butler said. “Th is whole thing
started because instead of being reactive to
hate crimes and violence, we wanted to be
proactive in protecting our communities,
our communal facilities, our JCCs, our
sanctuaries, our synagogues, mosques,
colleges. Th is was a way of doing it.”
In addition to extending the Nonprofi t
Security Grant Program for the next fi ve
years, the bill will give the grant program
a line on the budget, making it easier to
allocate funds in advance. Money for the
program will be set aside to be allocated
during the passing of the budget. Jewish
leaders hope for a budget allocation of
$5-10 million annually.

Th e commonwealth’s Senate and
House of Representatives passed the bill
with bipartisan support.

“In the days since 9/11, security and
heightened security has resonated more
with everybody,” Schatz said.

When Butler advocated for the passing
of the bill and met with local caucuses,
the rhetoric of his arguments remained
the same, he said. Most politicians rec-
ognize growing security concerns as an
issue they need to address.

Antisemitic attacks continue to loom.

On Nov. 3, the FBI offi ce in Newark, New
Jersey, issued a warning about “credible
threats” to area synagogues.

According to Anti-Defamation League
Philadelphia Regional Director Andrew
Goretsky, 21 Jewish institutions reported
antisemitic activity in the Philadelphia
area in 2021, and 22 reported the same
in 2020 — more than twice the number
reported in years prior.

“The five-year extension of the
grant program demonstrates that
Pennsylvania’s leaders understand the
urgency of antisemitism and the neces-
sity to secure religious and communal
spaces,” Goretsky said.

Jewish Federation of Greater
Philadelphia Community Security
Director Scott Kerns — who was
appointed at the end of September as
part of the Jewish Federation’s partner-
ship with Secure Community Network
— recently toured several Jewish com-
munity spaces and consulted with
leaders on how they can best enhance
campus security. In many cases, this
includes installing new security cam-
eras, lights in the parking lot or doors
that require key cards to open.

“One of my biggest jobs is to take a
look at each facility, because every facility
is diff erent, and look to do what we can
to harden that facility, so that it is less
of a soft target for some kind of attack,”
Kerns said.

At the same time, Kerns understands
that Jewish community spaces are not
“Fort Knox,” he said. Balancing increased
security while maintaining a welcoming
culture will be a growing challenge for
synagogues and JCCs.

While some people may feel safer
attending events knowing that there will
be increased security, the same precau-
tions can make others nervous. Kerns
said it’s his job to tell people that these
security measures are a necessity that
allow for the continuation of everyday
life in Jewish spaces.

“We want openness. Th at is very
important,” he said. “But we also need
security.” JE
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SASHA ROGELBERG | STAFF WRITER