The funds, being Nonprofit Security Grants allocated as part of the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), are the largest ever given to a New Jersey Congressional District and will help religious institutions and houses of worship with their security and protect against threats poised by homegrown domestic terrorism, either from organized groups or lone-wolf attacks.
The grants will help fund training, security guards, physical security and surveillance enhancement, screening equipment and means of controlling access to the facilities.
“This whole program is about fighting against antisemitism and hate and white supremacy and lone-wolf terror. It is about protecting against anyone who seeks to harm our families,” Gottheimer, who is a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, said at the press conference at the Keter Torah synagogue in Teaneck.
“This is about making sure that our churches and our synagogues and our mosques are safe, and that religious institutions and freedom, which are so deep at the heart of who we are, are safe.”
While the grants were given to 15 religious organizations, the majority of them were Jewish, with three (Christian Health Care Center, Church of the Presentation and the Malankara Archdiocese of the Syrian Orthodox Church in North America) being Christian.
Most of the $2.1 million was divided evenly, with most organizations receiving around $150,000, the lowest being $66,650.
Among the Jewish organizations getting these funds include Keter Torah, the Teaneck synagogue Rinat Yisrael, the Fair Lawn Jewish Center, the Solomon Schechter Day School of Bergen County and the Yeshiva of North Jersey.
“We thank you for the grant that will allow us to practice our religion without worrying, and that our families, our children can sit and relax and not worry about the threats that surround us,” Rinat Yisrael Community Service manager Nissan Clark said at the press conference.
“Year after year, Congressman Gottheimer has fought successfully to increase the investment of the non-profit security grant program. His efforts to secure funding ensures that our places of worship will be protected in the face of increasing antisemitism, hate filled violence and acts of terror,” said Keter Torah security head Deena Seelenfreund.
Seelenfreund is also the New Jersey regional manager for Community Security Service, a security firm dedicated to protecting Jews, Jewish institutions and synagogues in the US.
“We are extremely grateful to Congressman Josh Gottheimer and to Homeland Security for the NSGP funding, which enables congregants from all faiths to worship in peace without having to worry about their safety and security,” she added.
The funds come after Congress approved in late June to advance $180 million for NSGP funding as part of its plan to advance the 2022 Appropriations Bill. Omri Nahmias contributed to this report.