This year, FEMA’s Homeland Security Grant was particularly competitive as the number of applicants has increased substantially year to year. More and more non-profit organizations of all religious denominations are vying for federal and state funds to pay for either security personnel or target-hardening improvements. Target-hardening improvements such as better lighting, closed-circuit television, bollards and blast-proof film are all eligible for reimbursement. The security personnel grant is aimed at providing funds to enable the hiring of a security guard.

Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey works closely with many synagogues and non-profits to provide critical advice and guidance throughout the lengthy grant process. One such example is Temple Beth El of Jersey City, which was among the recipients of this year’s grants. Jewish Federation’s manager of Federation’s Kehillah Cooperative, Debbie Gottlieb, and Federation’s community security director, Jerry Dargan, played an integral role leading up to the submission of their grant application. “We could not have done it without Debbie’s help,” stated Stuart Portnoy, Temple Beth El’s volunteer in charge of the grant submission. The federal grant offerings were for awards up to $100,000.

With Federation’s help and guidance, this year 20 synagogues/organizations received state grants totaling $320,000, and nine synagogues received federal funding totaling over $800,000.

According to Gottlieb, “Assisting community synagogues in obtaining these security grants is a top priority for Jewish Federation. With rising incidents of anti-Semitism in our community, Federation wants to ensure each of our community synagogues and organizations has the necessary tools and support to keep their constituents safe.”