The Department of Homeland Security has allocated about $650,000 to make 10 Bay Area Jewish nonprofits more secure.
The money is part of a $19 million grant program that DHS will give to nonprofits nationwide to make the agencies safer.
Of 271 institutions named in a list released recently by DHS, 254 are Jewish. They include synagogues, schools, community centers and offices.
The funds were released as part of a congressionally mandated program in place since 2005 that targets institutions that are vulnerable to attack.
Security measures funded include “blast proof windows; reinforced doors, locks, gates, and fences; video surveillance; and other equipment and enhancements” as well as training, according to a release by the Jewish Federations of North America, the federations’ umbrella body, which created the Nonprofit Security Grant Program in 2005. It has since lobbied annually for the funding.
“The Nonprofit Security Grant Program is a proven resource that helps supplement the work of local and federal law enforcement to help keep us safe,” William Daroff, JFNA’s Washington director, said in a statement. — jta