The Pennsylvania State Commission on Crime and Delinquency announced earlier in October the organizations that are recipients of 2024 nonprofit security grant funds, state funds that are directed to institutions that serve groups of people in protected classes. The funds are supposed to be used for enhanced security measures.
Many synagogues and Jewish day schools around the Keystone State are going to receive funds this round.
Launched in 2019, the program began with plans to distribute $5 million in assistance annually. In the first year, the funds were largely awarded to synagogues in the wake of the 2018 massacre at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh.
The executive director of the advocacy group Pennsylvania Jewish Coalition, Hank Butler, said that it became evident quickly that this program could reach wider than initially planned.
“The demand was so high for the first five years that only 20-25% of the applicants were getting money. This is the first year that $10 million was spent instead of $5 million — but there were still about $30 million worth of requests over around 700 applicants, so the demand is there for this,” he said.
This most recent batch of funds, announced on Oct. 16, ranges from $8,500 to $150,000. It covers synagogues, churches, community centers, colleges, relief centers, libraries and more. Groups represented by the institutions that benefit include Jews, Sihks, Christians, Muslims, Japanese-Americans, the autistic community and members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Some Philadelphia-area synagogues that received funds include Bucks County Jewish Congregation, Chabad Lubavitch of Doylestown, Kol Emet Yardley Reconstructionist Congregation, Beth Israel Congregation of Chester County, Kesher Israel Congregation, Congregation Ahavas Torah, Mishkan Shalom, Temple Beth Zion-Beth Israel, Beth Sholom Congregation, Lower Merion Synagogue, Lubavitch of Montgomery County, Temple Beth Hillel-Beth El and South Philadelphia Shtiebel.
In addition, several local Jewish day schools received funding, including Yeshiva Ketana of Philadelphia, Abrams Hebrew Academy, Caskey Torah Academy, I.S. Kosloff Torah Academy High School for Girls, The Mesivta High School of Greater Philadelphia, Politz Hebrew Academy.
Other Jewish institutions and orgranizations in the Greater Philadelphia area that received funding include Gratz College, Jewish Family & Children’s Services of Greater Philadelphia and Jewish Refief Agency.
Nina Peskin is the executive director at the Germantown Jewish Centre, which received $111,540 from this round of grants. Peskin said that some of the funds were already used during this run of autumn holidays. The money allowed Germantown Jewish Centre to hire additional security. Peskin said that the congregants appreciate the measures, although not everyone realizes the difference immediately.
“The absence of security would be felt more keenly than the comfort of having additional security,” she said.
Butler said that these funds are crucial for security.
“It’s not just synagogues [that need this] — it’s mosques, churches, colleges, community centers or any other nonprofit that is a communal facility,” he said. “What they’re spending money on is cameras, concrete barriers, automatic door locks, automatic windows, bulletproof glass and bulletproof doors.”
The Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University reported in a study that hate crimes in the 10 largest cities in the country rose 13% from 2022 to 2023.
“I think the reason that there is a need for the security grants right now is to make sure that we feel safe using a Jewish community center, going to a Jewish federation, going to a Jewish aging facility, going to a synagogue,” he said. “It’s a shame we have to have this, but we have to. This program is a success because it makes people feel safer to worship.”
Butler said that Pennsylvania is proud to be doing its part to combat the tough reality that Jews face every day.
“With everything going on in our society, Jewish facilities are ranked at the top for those who most need security,” he said.
Peskin said that those who have been hired to protect are becoming part of the community.
“Parents have already gotten to know the guards by name and greet them,” she said. “It makes a huge difference.”
