Security costs for the Jewish community amount to $765 million per year, Jewish Federations of North America President and CEO Eric Fingerhut told the House Homeland Security Committee’s Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence in a letter calling attention to the enormous security costs paid by the American Jewish community and urging further action to protect faith communities.

 

“A typical Jewish organization spends 14% of its annual budget on security, with the costs of a security guard costing $90,000 a year and a fulltime community security director costing $160,000 a year, on average,” Fingerhut wrote in the Monday letter. “We also know that these measures are critical for Jewish life to flourish, finding that 60% of Jews say that security precautions make them feel safer. They see the addition of police, security guards, and hardening of buildings as the most effective. With antisemitic incidents and attacks continuing to grow, it is critical that Congress act to defend faith communities.”

 

These security costs, which are unique to the Jewish community, are prohibitive, making government support crucial to ensuring that Jewish communal life can continue to flourish.

 

The letter comes just weeks after the United for Security Emergency Mission, which brought 400 national Jewish leaders from over 100 Jewish Federations and representatives of nearly 50 Jewish organizations came to Washington, D.C., to sound the alarm about domestic terror threats against the Jewish community and meet with lawmakers from both parties to ensure they understand that congressional action is urgently needed.

 

In light of these growing challenges, Federations are advocating for the government to advance a Six-Point Security Policy Plan to protect Jewish communities and other at-risk populations. The plan includes:
 

1. Expanding the Nonprofit Security Grant Program to meet growing demand
2. Providing dedicated federal funding for security personnel
3. Enhancing FBI capabilities to detect and disrupt domestic terrorism
4. Increasing support for state and local law enforcement
5. Holding social media platforms accountable for spreading antisemitic hate
6. Prosecuting hate crimes aggressively to ensure accountability and deterrence

 

“It is a fundamental right for all Americans to practice their faith freely and without threats and intimidation,” Fingerhut added. “We urge this Subcommittee to advance concrete, bipartisan solutions that address the growing threat environment and reflect the urgent needs of faith-based and vulnerable communities nationwide. We stand ready to work with you to ensure that federal policy keeps pace with the rising tide of hate.”

 

Read the full letter here.