By Braden Hamelin
The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia announced multiple security investments in late August for Jewish early childhood educational spaces amid rising antisemitism throughout the country.
The Federation announced on Aug. 16 that it received a $250,000 grant for early childhood security from the Tepper Foundation through the Jewish Federations of North America.
“We are grateful to the Tepper Foundation and JFNA for their work to provide our Greater Philadelphia Jewish community with bolstered security resources to ensure that children can thrive and grow from the start of Jewish life and education. At this time of increased antisemitism, people deserve the peace of mind of a strong security foundation,” said Livi DiCaro, the Federation’s senior chief finance & operations officer.
The Federation said the grant will provide important assistance to protect children given the rise of antisemitism throughout the country, providing additional security personnel to supplement security trainings and threat assessments.
Six Jewish day camps and 12 Jewish preschools in Greater Philadelphia will receive funds from this grant.
“Nothing is more critical than the safety and well-being of our Greater Philadelphia Jewish community, especially at a time when antisemitism is on the rise,” said Scott Kerns, the Federation’s community security director. “These funds help bolster our community’s access to security resources and provide peace of mind so people can continue to live their Jewish lives.”
This grant is the latest step in the Tepper Foundation’s efforts since the Oct. 7 attacks, founding the Emergency Security Fund in Nov. 2023 and donating $12 million to date for the American Jewish community.
The Tepper Foundation has partnered with JFNA to donate $9 million to 76 different local Federations in their latest round of grants as part of JFNA’s LiveSecure initiative, the largest philanthropic effort to support Jewish security in North American history.
“Right now, nothing is more important than protecting our children and giving them a safe environment where they can learn, grow and thrive as people,” said JFNA Chair Julie Platt. “We’re thrilled that The Tepper Foundation continues on this journey with us during such difficult times.”
But the Federation’s security work did not end with the grant, with the organization announcing a “strategic relationship” with educational technology firm Ruvna on Aug. 22 to provide security for 5,000 students and 1,000 faculty across the area.
The Federation said in a news release that the collaboration began in Dec. 2023 and that the security measures the company provides are now protecting the members of 22 schools that have joined the initiative.
“Ensuring the safety of our community’s children and educators isn’t just a priority; it’s a moral imperative,” said Michael Balaban, president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia. “In times of the undeniably rising threats to our schools, it is more important than ever that we proactively equip our institutions with the tools they need to keep harm at bay. Our collaboration with Ruvna reflects our commitment to providing our schools with resources that serve both educational and security needs.”
The release cited several “concerning incidents,” including one where 300 students were rapidly evacuated and accounted for within three minutes, that led the Federation to pursue this level of safety and security as the new standard.
The technology allows for real-time communication and tracking of students and staff during emergency situations, and this partnership is the largest program deployment of this magnitude to date.
The release said that the relationship with Ruvna is the first of three steps over the next 12 months to continue building up community security infrastructure with the rise in violence and hate that is often directed at Jewish institutions.
This heightened commitment to security from the Federation is due in part to its participation in the LiveSecure program.
All participating Federations have put together comprehensive security plans and have made commitments to build strong relationships with other local faith-based organizations by sharing “security expertise.”
