Jewish Federation in the Heart of New Jersey is honored to announce that it is the recipient of a security grant from The Tepper Foundation through Jewish Federations of North America.

Jewish Federation in the Heart of New Jersey committed its own funding toward this grant with a match from The Tepper Foundation in partnership with Jewish Federations of North America. As threats against the Jewish community grow, this generous grant helps us uphold our sacred responsibility to guard our children and preserve our future. 

"Ensuring the safety of our youngest community members is not just a responsibility — it’s a moral imperative,” said Susan Antman, Executive Director of Jewish Federation in the Heart of New Jersey. “By investing in security, we protect the spaces where children grow, learn, and thrive, giving families peace of mind and allowing childhood to unfold in safety and trust."

In this second year of the grant, Federation in Heart of New Jersey is dispersing $100,000 to 21 local programs in Greater Middlesex and Monmouth Counties that serve children between the ages of 0-5. These include camps, preschools, youth programming, and synagogues. “Thanks to the Tepper Emergency Security Guard grant, we were able to operate our Sunday Religious School while our building was open to the public for a community blood drive. Due to the safety of our students, we would have otherwise elected to cancel class for the week.” said Ira Grubman, President of Congregation Neve Shalom, who received the grant. 

As part of the grant requirements, participating Federations must also commit to engaging in a series of bridge-building efforts by leveraging their security expertise to support local faith-based institutions and cultural communities outside the Jewish community. 

Federation Security Initiatives recently held a Stop The Bleed® for multifaith leaders, providing leaders with essential skills and knowledge in case of emergencies involving life-threatening bleeding. Federation also assists multifaith partners through the federal and state grants processes, participates in multifaith prayer gatherings, and holds other community programs.

“The Security Fund is continuing to provide a critical service for Jewish spaces across the United States, and the Jewish Federations play a key role in helping more families feel safe,” said Randi Tepper, CEO of The Tepper Foundation. “While most Jewish organizations have existing funds dedicated to security, many institutions have had to pull money from other budget lines to meet increased security needs. We want to ensure these organizations can not only provide security but continue their missions serving local families.”     

For more information contact Amy Keller, Director of Security Initiatives and External Affairs at Jewish Federation in the Heart of New Jersey.