RJW ECC Receives Security Grant from Jewish Federation of Greater Washington

Washington Hebrew is excited to announce that our Rabbi Joseph Weinberg Early Childhood Center (RJW ECC) has received funds from The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington to hire additional security personnel, adding another layer of protection for our community’s youngest learners. WHC is one of 25 Jewish early childhood education programs in Greater Washington to receive these grants, which supplement the security grant writing support, security assessments, and safety training that Federation’s security program, JShield, provides to all Jewish institutions in the area.

“The safety and security of each individual in our education programs is a top priority and always has been. We are grateful to Federation for these additional funds. Along with WHC’s new Director of Security, these funds will help our community maintain the high standards we set,” said Stepanie Tankel, WHC’s Director of Lifelong Learning.

The Jewish Federation distributed these funds as part of a $250,000 early childhood security grant from The Tepper Foundation through Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) to help protect children as antisemitism continues rising across the nation.

“At this time of increased antisemitism, security needs a holistic approach to ensure that every sector of our population is protected,” said Rusty Rosenthal, Federation’s Executive Director of Community Security. “We appreciate the work of The Tepper Foundation and JFNA to ensure our community has the resources for children and their parents to continue safely enjoying and experiencing Jewish life.”

The Tepper Foundation has been a major partner with JFNA in response to the growing number of antisemitic incidents in the United States since the October 7th Hamas terror attacks on Israel. The organization launched the Emergency Security Fund in November 2023 and has now made grants of more than $12 million across the nation to support the security needs of the American Jewish community.

“Right now, nothing is more important than protecting our children and giving them a safe environment where they can learn, grow, and thrive as people,” said JFNA’s Chair Julie Platt. “We’re thrilled that The Tepper Foundation continues on this journey with us during such difficult times.”

The Tepper Foundation’s current round of grants totaled $9 million and was awarded to 76 local Federations across 30 states with a requirement that they be a recipient of Jewish Federations’ LiveSecure funding.

Building on the success of JFNA’s LiveSecure initiative – the largest philanthropic effort to support Jewish security in North American history – Jewish Federations across North America have become The Tepper Foundation’s partner in continuing to ensure the safety of Jewish institutions and the communities they serve.

LiveSecure participating Federations, all of which have established comprehensive security plans under the auspices of JFNA, have committed to building and strengthening relationships with other religious leaders and faith-based institutions in their communities by sharing their security expertise. This is a new aspect of The Tepper Foundation’s commitment to security, aimed at improving interfaith relations as well as enhancing safety for all populations confronting hatred.

“Without basic security for our children, the Jewish community cannot flourish,” said Shira Hutt, Executive Vice President of JFNA. “We are proud of the immense progress we have made on securing our community through LiveSecure, but the unprecedented spike in antisemitism that our community has experienced since October 7th has created the need for both additional security resources and renewed outreach to our interfaith partners.

About The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington

The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington envisions an open, connected, and vibrant Jewish community that cares for each other, fosters Jewish learning and journeys, embraces Jewish peoplehood and Israel, and acts as a force for good in the world. As a mission-driven non-profit organization, we work to inspire, build, and sustain vibrant Jewish life in a changing world by mobilizing our community in common purpose, intentional innovation, and effective action. Learn more at shalomdc.org.

 

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