Meeting with senators, Pittsburgh Federation lobbies for increased security funding

The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh joined Jewish Federations from throughout North America in Washington, D.C. on May 18 and 19 to lobby for security funding.

Several Jewish Pittsburghers joined the two-day mission, including David Knoll, Federation’s associate vice president of public affairs.

“The Pennsylvania contingency met with Sen. Fetterman and Sen. McCormick,” he said. “We were well received. They know our needs.”

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Knoll said two sources of funding were discussed. The first is the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, designed to support nonprofit organizations that are at high risk of terrorist or extremist attacks. The grants provide funding for facility hardening and other security measures.

The budget for the program, Knoll said, is approximately $350 million for all nonprofits across the United States. The Jewish community alone, he noted, spends nearly $750 million nationwide on security annually.

“There’s a real need to up that pool,” he said. “We’re asking the federal government to up the grant to $1 billion, which is still not enough but will definitely help.”

While meeting with government officials, the Federation representatives also lobbied for passage of the Jewish American Security Act.

Introduced in May, the bill addresses the rising threat of antisemitism in the United Sates and has received backing from several organizations, including the Anti-Defamation League, the American Jewish Committee, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs and the Jewish Federations of North America.

The legislation would authorize up to $1 billion annually for the NSGP; strengthen protections in K-12 schools and universities by establishing a dedicated antisemitism coordinator at the Department of Education; mandate that social media platforms with at least 50 million U.S. users publish biannual reports detailing their moderation of antisemitic content ; and call for a coordinated assessment of domestic and transnational antisemitic threats by the FBI, Department of Homeland Security and National Counterterrorism Center.

The bill would buttress the NSGP’s funding, which now pays for just 50% of security personnel costs, which, Knoll said, presents a hardship for organizations.

“We’re saying that people of all faiths have to be able worship freely without fear and shouldn’t have to bear the burden of securing their own safety or paying for added protections,” he said. “It’s an added tax for people to simply practice their faith.”

The First Amendment, Knoll noted, enshrines the fundamental right to pray safely and freely, and shouldn’t require a tax on people of faith.

Pittsburgh resident Rick Wice attended the trip. He assists with security, both in the community at large and at his congregation, and agreed with Knoll that the funding is desperately needed.

While meeting with Sen. John Fetterman, the Pittsburgh coalition not only pushed for funding but also expressed gratitude, which Wice said was equally important.

“He’s supportive. He didn’t need convincing. He knows the story and has been ally of the community,” Wice said.
The senator has a strong sense of right and wrong, Wice said, and seemed puzzled by the animus directed at the Jewish community.

Wice said that the time the group spent with Fetterman’s staff was also important. One younger staff member asked Wice if he could recall a time when the level of antisemitism in the United States was as high as it is now.

“I told him, ‘No. When I was your age there were no thoughts of having guards or having to carry personal protective devices.’ I said, ‘This is a whole different world.’”

Wice considered the trip a success, both because of his interaction with Fetterman and for the opportunity to meet with Federations from across the U.S.

“It was good networking and, for me, was a shot in the arm to continue doing what I’m doing. It’s important. We’re not alone. We have to fight and we have to be loud and proud,” he said.

Knoll noted that Federation’s work isn’t strictly limited to the Jewish community. Community Security Director Shawn Brokos assists with security at all types of houses of worship and religious schools, and Federation helps non-Jewish organizations identify security vulnerabilities and apply for NSGP grants, Knoll said.

“We’ve helped mosques, churches and Hindu temples receive this money in the past few years,” he said. “We’re here for the Jewish community, but we’re here for all communities in Greater Pittsburgh, as well.”

Fetterman told the Chronicle that it’s always an honor to receive members of the Jewish community.

“Despite a deteriorating political climate, I’m always proud to stand with the community and affirm my unbreakable commitment to Israel,” he said. PJC

David Rullo can be reached at drullo@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.