New York, NY,… Dianne Lob, Chair, William Daroff, CEO, and Malcolm Hoenlein, Vice Chair, of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, issued the following statement:
“The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations applauds the U.S. House of Representatives for its passage of the Nonprofit Security Grant Program Improvement Act, which will provide $500 million in annual funding for federal security grants for non-profits, including synagogues, churches, and mosques, from 2023-2028. At a time of sharply increasing bias incidents across the country, this critical legislation is vital to the safety and security of faith communities and others.
“We will continue to engage with synagogues and local communities through our members and partner organizations, particularly the Secure Community Network (SCN) and the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), to fully implement the available resources and to raise awareness about the unfortunate necessity of security tools and training to protect communal spaces. The attack on January 15th of Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, and the ensuing hostage crisis, shook the country and demonstrated the immediate dangers threatening faith communities, as well as the bigotry directed at the American Jewish community. The Laguna Woods Church shooting this week showed security is an unfortunate need in many religious communities. This bill is an essential step to ensure that no faith community ever again feels threatened in its buildings or houses of worship.
“We thank the House Committee on Homeland Security, particularly Committee Chairman Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) and Ranking Member Rep. John Katko (R-NY), for their leadership introducing, advocating for, and passing this important legislation. In 2022, Congress must spare no effort to ensure that Americans are safe to worship freely. We call for the swift approval in the U.S. Senate of this critical funding.”
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