Jewish Federation and Foundation: Community partners, programs help us look to future

Since 1939, the Jewish Federation & Foundation of Northeast Florida and similar organizations have worked to protect and enhance Jewish life. There is no higher priority than ensuring a safe and secure environment in which to gather, pray, learn and play. This has never been clearer than in the midst of a rise in antisemitic threats and incidents across the country.

Most recently, Jacksonville experienced the despicable acts of antisemitic messages hung over a local highway overpass and projected at last month's Florida-Georgia game. While we are grateful that the unauthorized messages were swiftly denounced by each sports team — including NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars and scores of community leaders, the truth is that it has shed light for many on the unfortunate reality of antisemitism in today’s society.

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We know these incidents do not represent our growing and inclusive region and we cannot allow them to define us.

What are we doing about it? We have been working for nearly a year to put in place a new Community Security Initiative in partnership with the Secure Community Network (SCN). This is the official safety and security organization for the Jewish community in North America and we are excited to announce that we have just finalized the arrangements of our partnership — the new program will formally launch in the coming weeks.

On Oct. 31, we convened representatives from SCN, Jacksonville Sherriff’s Office and local FBI, along with the CEOs from the Jewish Community Alliance, the LJD Jewish Family & Community Services and River Garden. Congregation Ahavath Chesed, Jacksonville Jewish Center and Etz Chaim were also represented.

Time is of the essence and at this meeting, SCN and local law enforcement pledged to continue to work closely with us during the interim. Although there is no direct threat currently known, we must stay vigilant and take extra care to be cautious and aware of our surroundings.

Law enforcement has asked us to communicate to our community an incredibly important call to action: “Report Not Repost.” When people repost images or hate speech on social media, it amplifies those voices and helps them achieve a further reach. Forward any concerning activity that you witness, receive, or read to security@jewishjacksonville.org. SCN will conduct a thorough assessment of each report and work directly with local law enforcement and the FBI.

SCN works across 146 federations, 50 partner organizations, more than 300 independent communities and other partners in the public, private, nonprofit and academic sectors. The nonprofit organization runs the National Jewish Security Operations Command Center in Chicago, which includes a 24-hour duty desk that serves as the central intake and distribution point for incident and threat reporting, analysis, information sharing and incident tracking.

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SCN’s intelligence analysts identify and review threats around the clock and coordinate as needed with law enforcement agencies and Jewish facilities. Learn more about SCN by visiting SecureCommunityNetwork.org.

At our local level, SCN and the Jewish Federation & Foundation of Northeast Florida will recruit a public safety expert and law enforcement veteran to serve as our community’s full-time security executive. This individual will leverage the national resources and tools of SCN to develop and administer a comprehensive program that provides risk mitigation, security consultations and assessments to Jewish institutions throughout the region.

An integral part of this security initiative will be community education and awareness training through SCN’s flagship training courses. The courses will cover subjects such as situational awareness, how to counter an active threat and the national campaign Stop the Bleed, which educates the public on how to recognize a bleeding emergency and how to help before professional help arrives. The director will also serve as our primary liaison to local, state and federal law enforcement.

Our security program is being made possible through professional support from the Jewish Federation and SCN; funding through the collaborative efforts of the Jewish Federation and local donors, such as the recent creation of the Together Strong Community Fund — established through a generous gift and matching community fund from David Miller on behalf of the Miller families; the Community Foundation of Northeast Florida and national donor support from SCN and LiveSecure; and the partnership between The Jewish Federations of North America and SCN to fund and create a collective security framework.

In addition, the Together Strong Community Fund will support the creation of a Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC). The JCRC will serve as the representative voice of the organized Jewish community to the general community on issues of interest and concern to the Jewish community, such as acts of antisemitism. The fund will also support the work of OneJax, a nonprofit interfaith organization that promotes racial, religious and cultural tolerance.

We know that we are facing the most complex and dynamic threat environment that has ever existed for the modern Jewish community. Through our partnership with SCN and working closely with all our community organizations, we will be more organized and more committed to action than ever before. We thank the entire community for the continuing support of Jewish life in Northeast Florida and the safety and security of the Jewish people.

As our tagline states — now we go forward. Together, we will go forward and cultivate a stronger, safer, community. As Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel said, "Whenever men and women are prosecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must — at that moment — become the center of the universe."

For more information on how to participate in the Together Strong Community Fund match, contact Mariam Feist, CEO, at mariamf@jewishjacksonville.org or (904) 224-1410, or Kellie Smith, Foundation Director, at kelliek@jewishjacksonville.org or (904) 512-3796.

Mariam Feist, CEO and Jennifer Plotkin, board president, Jewish Federation & Foundation of Northeast Florida 

This guest column is the opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of the Times-Union. We welcome a diversity of opinions. 

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jewish Federation: New programs help us go forward, look to future