US Jewish leaders back bipartisan bill to boost security, fight antisemitism

Reps. Dan Goldman and Mike Lawler have introduced bipartisan legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives designed to bolster federal security assistance for Jewish institutions and confront rising antisemitism. This bill, a House counterpart to the Senate's Jewish American Security Act, seeks to significantly increase funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, raising it to $1 billion.

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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.

The proposed legislation extends grant eligibility to a broader range of Jewish organizations and allows for funds to be allocated towards law enforcement initiatives. Furthermore, it mandates that the Department of Education establish a dedicated antisemitism coordinator. In an effort to tackle online hate, the bill also compels social media platforms to provide clear explanations of how they manage and address antisemitism on their sites.

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how essential security is for every single Jewish institution

Leaders within the Jewish community have voiced strong support for the bill, citing an escalating security crisis. Eric Fingerhut, CEO and president of the Jewish Federations of North America, emphasized the federal government's responsibility to ensure the safety of all Americans, stating, "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."

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We should not have to pay a Jewish tax to be able to go to synagogue, and this will not only increase the funding, but it also expands the range of areas that can be funded by the Nonprofit Security Grant to include, very clearly, security personnel and other types of security that have not currently included and that are now clearly essential.

Rep. Goldman highlighted a recent car-ramming attack on Temple Israel in Detroit as a stark example of the "essential" need for security at Jewish institutions. He noted that the bill aims to alleviate the financial burden on these organizations, stating, "We should not have to pay a Jewish tax to be able to go to synagogue." Rep. Lawler, a Catholic, expressed outrage that Jewish Americans lack the basic security afforded to other places of worship, saying, "I can walk into my church without passing a security guard stationed outside. Jewish Americans don’t have that luxury, and it’s outrageous, and it should anger each and every one of us."

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I can walk into my church without passing a security guard stationed outside. Jewish Americans don’t have that luxury, and it’s outrageous, and it should anger each and every one of us.