Jewish Federation adds security service as bias incidents soar

CHERRY HILL – With antisemitism on the rise, a South Jersey organization has launched an effort to better protect Jewish communities.

A new entity from the Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey is offering training, risk assessment, and emergency-operations planning to participating institutions across much of the state.

JFed Security LLC also provides access to guards, and to information distributed by an intelligence analyst, the Cherry Hill federation said in a statement.

Antisemitic incidents at record high

JFed Security was created to help ensure “that Jews can live and practice their religion safely, especially given the unfortunate rise in antisemitic incidents,” said its executive director William “Bud” Monaghan.

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Indeed, a recent report from Anti-Defamation League noted 3,697 antisemitic incidents last year, a 36 percent increase.

That’s the highest level since the ADL began tracking such incidents in 1979, the civil rights group said.

It noted New Jersey ranked third among all states with 408 incidents last year. The state trailed only New York, with 580 incidents, and California, with 518.

Security for Passover gatherings

The need for security will also be acute in upcoming days as Jews gather to celebrate the April 5-13 holiday of Passover.

“Security is in place as always and we do increase our presence for major holidays,” said Monaghan, who is Cherry Hill’s former police chief.

JFed Security will bolster security for four Jewish federations in New Jersey and another that covers all of Delaware.

The community initiative covers all of South Jersey, as well as Mercer, Hunterdon, Somerset and Warren counties.

The program's impact will appear in visible changes like barricades, portable weapon detection systems and vehicles for mobile patrols, according to the Cherry Hill federation.

Behind the scenes, a regionalized intelligence section will track data and increase information sharing.

The federations will share in the security program’s costs “based upon size and need,” the Cherry Hill group's statement said.

In addition, JFed Security on Tuesday said it has introduced an online form for people to report threats, incidents and suspicious activity related to the Jewish community.

The form is available at jewishsouthjersey.org/IncidentReporting.

JFed Security welcomed

Leaders of Jewish day schools and other organizations have supported the program.

“It makes sense for our community to work together to ensure the safety of all our communities here in Jewish South Jersey,” said Rabbi Chaim Greenwald, who oversees Politz Day School of Cherry Hill.

The partnership with JFed Security “will improve upon what we already do,” said Josh Laster, executive director of Congregation Beth El in Voorhees.

The security unit was launched with a grant that’s part of a $130 million campaign by the Jewish Federations of North America.

The national group’s effort, which began in 2021, “is the largest initiative in history to secure Jewish communities across North America,” the statement said.

Jim Walsh is a senior reporter at the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey responds to antisemitism