The Tepper Foundation’s Security Fund Grants $2.5M to Protect Young Children in Jewish Meeting Places Amid Rising Antisemitism

New grants support security needs from existing grantees in synagogues, Jewish community spaces and pre-schools

SHORT HILLS, N.J. (January 24, 2024) – The Tepper Foundation is deploying $2.5 million in emergency grants through its Security Fund to enhance security in synagogues, Jewish Community Centers (JCCs) and schools during times when young children are present. The Security Fund was launched in November to underwrite the cost of security personnel in Jewish community spaces following a spike in antisemitic incidents and threats across the United States.

The latest Security Fund grant recipients include:

• Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ, to be distributed to synagogues and JCCs in Essex, Morris, Sussex, Union and Somerset Counties in New Jersey;

• Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County, to be distributed to synagogues and JCCs in Palm Beach and Martin Counties in Florida;

• Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte, to be distributed to synagogues and JCCs in greater Charlotte;

• Jewish Kids Group and Jewish Kids Group Accelerator, which provides Jewish-sponsored after-school programs in the Atlanta area and Florida;

• Foundation for Jewish Camp, which will distribute the security grants to five day-camps in Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Oregon; and

• Marlene Meyerson Jewish Community Center of Manhattan, a JCC in New York.

These grants come after the Security Fund’s initial $500,000 grant to Hillel International, which was matched by their organization, providing $1 million toward increased security on college campuses.

These timely grants allow existing grantees of The Tepper Foundation to respond to increased security needs immediately and improve safety at key community institutions in response to rising antisemitism. The Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism reported a 361% year-over-year increase in antisemitic incidents in recent months.

In addition to launching the Security Fund, The Tepper Foundation moved quickly to provide funding to organizations providing humanitarian relief in the wake of the October 7th attack in Israel.

“At The Tepper Foundation, we believe that everyone has the right to enjoy the full expression of their identities, and that includes feeling safe in their local meeting spaces and places of worship,” said David Tepper, Founder and Chair of the Board of The Tepper Foundation. “We are working with partners to deploy resources as quickly as possible — to safeguard Jewish spaces frequented by families and children. While there is a critical need today, we also want to make sure these increased security measures can be sustained for as long as necessary, so we encourage other foundations and individuals to join us in funding this work.”

Since 1996, The Tepper Foundation has worked to combat identity-based hate through its grantee partners. The foundation’s Jewish giving is split into two focus areas: Jewish life, made up of grantmaking to organizations that work on community building, early childhood and families; and combating antisemitism, supporting grantees that are dedicated to combating prejudice and hate crimes against the Jewish people on college campuses, in the media and in the public square.

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About The Tepper Foundation: The Tepper Foundation is a family foundation that supports effective organizations in New Jersey and across the United States. Through these grantee partnerships, the foundation works to meet people’s basic needs like food and housing; provide relief in the face of disasters; support the Jewish community; safeguard rights; and strengthen the nonprofit sector. Founded in 1996 by David Tepper, the foundation has supported grantees with hundreds of millions of dollars in direct support since its inception and continues to expand its giving. Learn more at www.tepperfoundation.org.