Boro Park Holds First-Ever Security Summit to Assist Shuls With Security Grants

by M.C. Millman

The Boro Park JCC, together with the Community Security Initiative (CSI), offered Boro Park shuls and mosdos a first of its kind for Boro Park, Security Summit on Tuesday afternoon. 

The informative session provided clear guidance on how to apply for $200,000 in NYS Security Funding available for non-profits at risk of hate crimes. Geared toward gabbaim and building managers of shuls and schools, the afternoon offered attendees an understanding of how to work their way through the application process to procure critical funding to help keep mispallelim and mosdos students safe from hate crimes. 

Avi Greenstein, BPJCC CEO, emceed the afternoon, beginning with an invitation to Rabbi Efraim Fink, Boro Park askan and administrator, to address attendees.

Dov Horwitz, CSI Director of Physical Security Programs, shared the step-by-step process involved in applying for annual security grant opportunities, including the Federal Non-profit Security Grant Program (NSGP), which offered $150,000 in funding last year for increasing security in non-profits nationwide. 

Nearly one hundred participants were deeply focused on learning the steps they would need to follow to apply for funding. While many organizations expressed that they know they won't be ready for this year's applications, the workshop will allow them to begin the process now to be ahead of the game for next year's security funding from both federal and state. 

"Unfortunately, we live in a world where the danger of hate crimes has become a daily reality," says Greenstein. "I am so grateful that the government is taking this seriously and helping organizations at risk for hate crimes to have the opportunity to avail themselves of such important resources. The BPJCC is mission-driven together with CSI to see to it that every one of the 300 shuls in Boro Park has the resources and the wherewithal to apply for this security funding."

Attendees had the opportunity to participate in a question-and-answer session and meet one-on-one with experts in the field. They were also able to sign up to receive a free Risk Assessment from CSI for their building—a $4,000 value and a requirement for the NSGP grant application.  

"It was so great to see CSI's Mitch Silber, Community Security Initiative Executive Director, and CSI's Adam Berish, who is heading the CSI branch in the BPJCC office," BPJCC's CEO says. "I am thankful for this partnership and how well it is working out for all of us. What we all know is that those who will benefit the most are those schools and shuls that will be so much more secure in the future. I do not have enough words to thank CSI."