By Nathan Diament
As American Jews fast and pray on Yom Kippur, politicians in Washington will debate scaling back one of the most essential government programs for protecting Jewish lives.
This year’s High Holidays overlap with a crucial event on the Washington Beltway calendar: budget negotiations. The Senate Appropriations Committee has proposed cutting $18 million from the Nonprofit Security Grant Program.
Created in 2004 through the efforts of the Orthodox Union and other Jewish advocacy groups, the $305 million program provides federal funds to nonprofits for security improvements. Since its inception, it has been instrumental in providing shuls and schools with increased resources to protect themselves.
The timing of the proposed cuts could not be worse. Antisemitism is at the highest levels it’s been in decades. A study released last week by the ADL shows antisemitic incidents rose 36% in 2022.
Just this weekend, numerous synagogues navigated bomb threats timed around Rosh Hashanah. Thankfully, none were deemed credible, but the evacuations and delays are a lingering reminder of the constant threats Jews face.
That is why the $18 million funding cut proposed by the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee for the DHS is deeply concerning. Notably, the proposed funding reduction goes directly against the NSGP funding level guidelines outlined in the White House’s National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism.
While this year’s allocation was NSGP’s highest level ever, less than half of NSGP grant applications were able to be filled.
That means scores of synagogues and other institutions won’t be able to install critical security upgrades such as surveillance cameras and shatterproof glass, and won’t be able to hire contract security guards — which NSGP funds are used for widely as well.
How many more organizations will miss out on this crucial funding if the funding levels are reduced further?
Fully funding the NGSP at $360 million is a crucial step toward securing Jewish shuls and schools, and one we will pull out all the stops to fight for. You can help by asking your senators to oppose any cut to NSGP and increase its funding level.
In Judaism, the High Holidays are the “Days of Awe.” During this time, God determines our welfare for the coming year. Our prayers for health and safety are at the top of our communal list. But we also have to be proactive and do our part in bolstering safety for Jewish communities. Having Congress fully fund the Nonprofit Security Grant Program is a crucial part of this.
Source: The Forward
