Amid rising threats to the American Jewish community, Jewish Federations of North America brought more than 400 Jewish leaders from 82 different communities across the country to Capitol Hill to hold over 200 meetings with key Congressional leadership. The Jewish leaders also championed the landmark bipartisan Jewish American Security Act, which was introduced earlier in the day.  

 

The bill would boost Nonprofit Security Grant Program funding to $1 billion that can be used by Jewish communities, create a new grant that can be used for places of worship, require the Department of Education to designate an antisemitism coordinator, and lay out new regulations to combat antisemitism at colleges that receive DOE funding. Additionally, the measure would require new disclosures about how online platforms moderate and respond to antisemitic content. 

 

Over the last twelve months, Jews have been deliberately targeted with violent attacks threatening Jewish religious expression. In just the last week, Members of Congress have received antisemitic death calls, and a commander of an Iranian-backed militia was charged with plotting to attack Jewish sites in the United States. This rising need for security funding extends beyond American Jewish communities – just yesterday, three people were killed in the shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego, including a security guard.  

 

Americans of all faiths deserve the right gather safely with their communities, which is why Jewish leaders joined Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Representative Dan Goldman (D-NY-10) on Capitol Hill to discuss the rising domestic security crisis and support the Jewish American Security Act.
   

“Jewish communities across the United States are facing a real and growing security crisis, and the federal government has a responsibility to ensure that all Americans can gather, worship, and live openly and safely as who they are,” said Hon. Eric D. Fingerhut, President and CEO of Jewish Federations of North America. “Jewish Federations of North America and the communities we represent are deeply grateful to Senators Rosen and Lankford for co-leading and introducing this landmark security package at a moment when threats, fear, and violence have become part of daily life for far too many Jewish families and institutions.”

 
 
“This legislation represents one of the strongest congressional responses we have seen to the alarming rise in antisemitism and targeted violence against the Jewish community,” Fingerhut continued. “It sends a clear and unmistakable message: protecting Jewish Americans is not optional — it is an urgent national priority. We are proud to support this effort and urge Congress to act swiftly, because no American should have to live in fear simply for being Jewish.” 

 

In Michigan this March, a terrorist crashed a car filled with weapons into Temple Israel, where over 120 preschoolers hid in fear. If not for critical security training and personnel, this near massacre could have become one of the worst attacks on American soil since 9/11. This incident is one of many that underscores the tragic need for increased security to ensure Jewish Americans can gather safely and openly practice their faith. 

 

“The Nonprofit Security Grant Program is the federal funding stream that helps houses of worship and community centers protect themselves,” Temple Israel's Rabbi Jen Lader told the gathered members of Congress and Jewish leaders. “In our case, prior investment in our security infrastructure was the difference between the destruction of a building and an unspeakable tragedy. This funding is without exaggeration a matter of life and death.”  

 

Jewish communities are being forced to choose between programs like schools, camps, food banks, and social services to meet increased security needs while demand outpaces the federal program Congress built to help. Proper funding ensures that all communities of faith will have access to critical security dollars, allowing all religious groups to practice freely. 

 

"Today, here in Washington, nearly 400 Jewish community leaders representing 41 states have come to our nation’s capital. We are here to meet with our distinguished members of congress, to speak with one voice, to say clearly and respectfully: the freedom of religion guaranteed to every American cannot be diminished by the threat of violence, or the costs of ensuring it," said Jewish Federations of North America Chair Gary Torgow. 

 

Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Representative Dan Goldman (D-NY-10) expressed their support for the bill, discussing how they can champion Jewish safety in their states and around the country. 

 

Alongside the leadership shown by Senator Rosen and Lankford, Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Representative Dan Goldman (D-NY-10) expressed their support for the bill, discussing how they can champion Jewish safety in their states and around the country. 

 

"The historic moment that we are in right now, here today, that we have come to through all of this, calls for an equally large effort, and that's why today we are proud to introduce our bipartisan bill in the Senate and in the House to launch an aggressive and comprehensive domestic approach against antisemitism through our bipartisan Jewish American Security Act, said Senator Jacky Rosen. “We will help keep Jewish students safe, will help secure Jewish community institutions, and we will help fight antisemitism online." 

 

"In the last decade, we've seen record-breaking year after record-breaking year of antisemitic incidents. We've seen vandalisms, attack, murder, threats on Jewish communities at schools and our college campuses, at Jewish-owned businesses, at our places of worship. But this last year has been one I will never forget,” continued Senator Rosen. "We must agree that intimidation, discrimination, violence, and even murder of Jews is always wrong and always unacceptable." 

 

"The importance of fighting antisemitism, though, is not just for Jewish Americans, because we know through history that antisemitism may strike first, but it never strikes last....it may start with Jews one day, but it will go to another group the next day, and we saw an example of this yesterday in San Diego with a horrific attack on the Islamic Center,” said Representative Dan Goldman. “If we do not combat antisemitism and hate crime in general, it will just continue to escalate more and more…and we will all be less safe. We worked for several months to fine tune this bill so that it can be a targeted, productive, and effective concrete step to fighting antisemitism and rooting it out from the ground." 
 

Jewish Federations, the collective backbone of the organized Jewish community, ensures Jewish American voices are heard in Washington. Today marks a significant step forward in supporting American Jews and upholding the constitutional right to religious freedom for all Americans. Jewish Federations worked with members of Congress to pass the original Nonprofit Security Grant Program, and urgent expansion is essential to saving lives.  
 

Now, Jewish Federations calls for members of Congress to cosponsor the Bipartisan Jewish American Security Act and work to sign this critical policy into law.