Thanks to an emergency security matching grant from The Tepper Foundation, which is distributed through Jewish Federations of North America, and with the addition of contributions from community members, United Jewish Federation of Tidewater is able to make significant steps to bolster security for the community’s most vulnerable population—children ages five and under.
This critical funding comes at a time when Jewish communities across the nation are prioritizing safety in response to heightened concerns. Locally, the grant offers synagogues, day schools, and the Simon Family JCC the opportunity to have additional hours of security guard coverage, ensuring that families can feel confident their youngest members are protected during worship, learning, and programming.
As part of this emergency grant, UJFT is also committed to engaging in a series of bridge-building efforts spearheaded by Tidewater’s Jewish Community Relations Council and partnership with Secure Community Network. Some of the efforts will involve leveraging the community’s security expertise to support local faith-based organizations outside of the Jewish community. This may include, but is not limited to, safety assessments, security training, and support accessing federal security funding.
UJFT is appreciative of The Tepper Foundation and JFNA for recognizing the urgency of this need.
For more information on the Tidewater Community Security Program, contact Mike Goldsmith at MGoldsmith@securecommunitynetwork.org.