JNS
"This funding is more than dollars; it’s a shield for Jewish and religious communities across America,” said Nathan Diament, executive director of the Orthodox Union Advocacy Center.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security released $110 million in funding from the nonprofit security grant program on Tuesday, designed to protect religious institutions, including synagogues and Jewish day schools.
The money is the final portion of $210 million that Congress appropriated in the 2024 national security supplemental funding bill. It will be distributed to “a diverse array of organizations, including Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh and Jewish affiliated institutions,” after the first tranche of $100 million was allocated to more than 500 Jewish groups in June.
“Whether they pray in a church, mosque or synagogue, all Americans should be able to practice their religion without fear of terrorism and violence,” said a senior Department of Homeland Security official.
DHS briefly paused the grants in early 2025 as part of the Trump administration’s wider freeze on government spending that it regarded as wasteful, but reversed course under bipartisan congressional pressure to distribute the funds for nonprofit security.
The program, administered through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is intended to pay for enhanced physical security features like cameras, alarm systems and barriers.
Nathan Diament, executive director of the Orthodox Union Advocacy Center, thanked DHS for releasing the money on Tuesday.
“This funding is more than dollars; it’s a shield for Jewish and religious communities across America,” he said. “At a time of exploding antisemitism and with the High Holidays on the horizon, this funding provides the concrete support institutions need to remain safe and resilient.”
