Category: Community Security & Antisemitism

As the war with Iran continues to escalate across the region and families across Israel once again take shelter in safe rooms and bomb shelters, we stand firmly with the people of Israel. We mourn the victims of the recent Iranian ballistic missile strike in Beit Shemesh, in which at least nine civilians were killed and dozens were injured. We remain in close communication with partners there as more details emerge.

Immediate Action

Federation is allocating $250,000 to address the urgent needs in Israel. Funds will be directed to existing partners on the ground, including JDC and The Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI), and based on evolving local needs in coordination with community partners.

Over the coming days and weeks, we will continue to evaluate developments carefully to mobilize our community to respond where support is needed most.

Security at Home

JShield, Federation’s community security initiative, remains in regular contact with law enforcement and community partners. While there are no known or anticipated security threats in Greater Washington at this time, we continue to reinforce vigilance and encourage all organizations to continue maintaining the security protocols already in place.

Community members who witness suspicious activity can report an incident here. In an emergency, call 911 immediately.

Organizational security-related questions may be directed to security@shalomdc.org.

Next Steps

Watch a live, firsthand update from Israel. Federation’s Israel Office Director, Karen Katzman, joined Gil Preuss on Wednesday, March 4 on Zoom. Speaking directly from Israel, Karen shared what she is seeing on the ground and what we are hearing from partners across the region.

Read the latest Israel update. Special briefings from the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) are available on our news page.

Stay informed and engaged. We will continue to post verified briefings and share meaningful ways for our community to respond as the situation evolves.

Many have already asked how to help. Our current response is being mobilized through existing Federation resources and long-term investments stewarded by the Foundation, enabling swift and accountable action. Those who wish to contribute may do so here.

Learn more about or support our ongoing work in Israel.

Photo credit: L: Erik Marmor/Getty Image; R: Rami Slush/Reuters

I’ve been thinking about Federation’s role in Jewish life. To be fair, I’m pretty much always thinking about this. But I’m looking at the swirl of everything going on in our world, and wondering what is it that we owe our community in this moment?

As the sociologist Robert Bellah might put it (a reference I’m borrowing from a recent meeting of our Governing Board), some communities find strength in internal alignment while others rely on a series of interconnected bridges to stay strong and cohesive. Our community is likely best defined as a combination of the two. We hold a common commitment to a strong and vibrant Jewish community while operating across a breadth of differences. We must therefore continue building durable throughways to ensure we stay connected to Jewish life and each other.

This, of course, includes our work to engage our community with Israel. Core to our strategy is the goal to engage the full range of our community with the full range of Israeli society according to our community members’ own interests. This year, we’ll be continuing to work with Jewish organizations across our community to build out opportunities for more people to learn about and connect with Israel.

Additionally, as I wrote this week in partnership with scholar Ted Sasson, The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington is a Zionist organization. And as such, we have a responsibility to live up to our definition of the term and show people that Zionism is “broad enough to accommodate a community of Jews who hold (or grapple with) attitudes about Israel that span the range from the right to the left.”

After all, the latest JFNA study found that a majority of American Jews are struggling with specific Israeli government policies, even as they continue to believe in a Jewish, democratic homeland and Israel’s right to exist. If we care about a vibrant Jewish community, we cannot ignore this. We owe it to those deeply troubled by Israel’s actions to continue engaging them and creating the conditions for open dialogue and authentic connections with Israel and Israelis.

On a local note, our latest pulse survey found that political and social disagreements are the number one driver of disengagement with Jewish life and community. After issues of safety and antisemitism, Jews in the DC area rank political polarization as one of the most critical issues facing Jewish Greater Washington. More and more, I see a core part of Federation’s role as not only mitigating this crisis but turning our unique communal makeup into a source of strength.

Disagreement need not mean distance. Uncertainty need not mean isolation. What’s going on in the world, and certainly in Israel, is complicated and, for many, deeply personal. What matters is not that we arrive at the same conclusions but that we feel comfortable and, better yet, moved to meet each other on those bridges and find a way forward together.

Earlier this month, Bret Stephens delivered the State of World Jewry address at 92NY. His remarks caught people’s attention. Stephens argued the Jewish community should shift energy and resources away from fighting antisemitism and instead double down on investing in Jewish education and engagement. As he put it, “Jew hatred is the product of a psychological reflex, and that kind of reflex can never be educated out of existence, even if, for a time, it may be sublimated or shamed into quiescence.”

I agree and disagree with his main points (and find fault with some of the additional opinions he presented). I agree with Stephens that now is a moment for Jewish revival, that helping more people explore and connect with Jewish ideas, practices, and peoplehood will be what shapes a vibrant Jewish future. At Federation, we are committed to working across our community to invest in and scale substantive, meaningful Jewish experiences—like summer camp, trips to Israel, learning and discussion opportunities, day school, and more—so that anyone who is interested has the chance to dig in and discover the joy of Jewish life.

But it would be irresponsible to ignore the work of countering antisemitism. We can and should be leaders in holding individuals and institutions to account and helping people understand antisemitism as a serious issue. Our work to build relationships, alliances, and understanding is not futile. If there are things we can do to mitigate hateful behavior, we should do them.

Admittedly, we may not be able to change the minds of the Carlsons and the Owenses of the world. But we can help shape programming and guidelines for schools, educate and engage leaders, work with teenagers before they go to college, and build bridges with other minority and interfaith communities, among other efforts. Not only does this work help address antisemitism, but it may also change the lived experiences of many in the Jewish community.

Stephens muses, “There is nothing Jews can do to cure the Jew haters of their hate. They can hire their own psychiatrists.” And he may be right. We are not responsible for people’s hateful and misguided beliefs. But perhaps I have a bit more faith than Stephens in our ability to multitask. I am confident we can build vibrant Jewish life while protecting it and being there for the students and teachers and everyday people who are coming face to face with antisemitism on a regular basis.

As Jews, we don’t ignore, we tackle. Today, that means being part of the sacred, collective efforts to stop hate before it starts while simultaneously strengthening Jewish identity, pride, and joy for the future.

On October 7, 2023, Ran (Rani) Gvili, 24, was at his parents’ home in Meitar, in southern Israel, on medical leave from his service in an elite police unit. About two weeks earlier, he had injured his shoulder in an off-road motorcycle accident and was scheduled to undergo surgery just days later. As his family rushed into the shelter amid relentless sirens, Rani put on his police uniform and prepared to leave. His mother, Talik, asked him where he thought he was going. Rani replied simply: “Do you really think I’d stay home knowing my friends are fighting? No way.” (as reported by The Times of Israel)

Defender of Alumim

As chaos raged all around, without waiting to be called, Rani drove straight into the fighting. He first assisted survivors of the Nova Music Festival and then joined the heroic battle to defend the nearby Kibbutz Alumim. He neutralized dozens of terrorists and saved the lives of many residents, even as he sustained severe injuries to his arm and leg. Over time, he became known as “Rani, Defender of Alumim.” He fought relentlessly until he ran out of ammunition. It was later learned that he fell in battle and that his body was abducted to Gaza.

Bringing Rani Home Last week, at long last, the circle was closed. After critical intelligence was received regarding his whereabouts, hundreds of soldiers, accompanied by dozens of forensic dental specialists, set out on a mission almost impossible to imagine: locating Rani’s body in a cemetery in Gaza. After approximately 48 hours of exhausting searches under extremely difficult conditions, the long-awaited answer came—Rani was found. Dr. Assi Sharon, who took part in the mission alongside the forces in Gaza, described the emotional moment: “There wasn’t a dry eye. People were deeply moved, with a profound sense of reverence. We recited Kaddish, and there was a ceremony with the Chief of Staff—a very special moment. As I stood there, I realized I could finally remove the yellow ribbon, and I did.” (as reported by JFEED)

843 Days, 12 Hours, 5 Minutes, and 59 Seconds With this, one of the most painful, yet also most inspiring, chapters in the history of the State of Israel and the Jewish people came to an end. After 843 days, 12 hours, 5 minutes, and 59 seconds, the clock at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv stopped. A shofar was sounded, and many recited the Shehecheyanu blessing, giving thanks for reaching this moment. The mitzvah of redeeming captives, which Maimonides called the greatest commandment in Judaism, was fulfilled. The Israeli ethos—viewing the return of every soldier and civilian from enemy hands as a supreme moral obligation—was upheld. All 251 Israelis and foreign nationals abducted to Gaza on October 7, together with two Israeli civilians and two fallen soldiers previously held by Hamas, were returned.

The Power of Public Pressure The sustained public effort to bring the hostages home was essential. Throughout this long—far too long—period, the Hostage Families Forum worked tirelessly to keep this issue at the forefront of the public agenda, most prominently in Israel and the United States. One powerful testament to the impact of this cause can be found in the words of Alon Ohel, who returned from captivity after 738 days: “They opened a laptop and showed me a picture of someone holding a drawing of me, with a piano behind her. That’s when I understood that people I didn’t know were fighting for me. It gave me even more strength—if people who don’t know me are fighting for me, who am I to give up?”

A Shared Response, Across Oceans With great pride and deep appreciation, it can be said that our community also took an active part in the collective endeavor to bring the hostages home, and in Israel’s broader recovery efforts. Shortly after October 7, Federation established the Israel Crisis Relief Fund and raised more than $15 million from the community for emergency assistance to Israel, nearly half a million dollars of which was transferred directed to the Hostage Families Forum. Beyond this, Federation supported the Hostage Families Forum in convening community events that brought people together with hostage family members and former captives, allowing them to share their personal stories and mobilize the broader community around the cause. The Community Shlichim—placed in synagogues and Jewish organizations across the community as part of a joint initiative of Federation and the Jewish Agency for Israel—led a wide range of activities focused on the hostages. These included creating dedicated spaces highlighting the hostages and their stories, and organizing events such as a community solidarity walk, an interactive cartoon exhibition addressing the hostage crisis and current Israeli issues, and many more.

“Thanks to Your Efforts…”

For all of this—and so much more—we extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone across our community who took part in advancing this most important cause.

As Matan Sivek, Founder of the Hostage Families Forum US, put it:

“The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington joined forces with hostage families from day one to ensure they get the financial and communal support they need. The DMV community advocated, marched, embraced, and was on the front line of ensuring the highest echelons don’t forget about the hostages. We are grateful for the leadership and partnership of Federation in this historic moment in Jewish history. Thanks to your efforts, they are back.”

Photo Captions: Ran (Rani) Gvili in uniform; Israel Defense Forces; Photo courtesy of IDF; Hostages Square clock at the moment of release; Photo: Avshalom Sassoni / Maariv; Alon Ohel, former hostage, after return; Photo: Eden Danielle Kleiban Pakter; Pozez JCC community walk for hostage awareness; Photo: Hostage Families Forum US, Leigh Vogel

After an act of antisemitic arson devastated Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Mississippi, our community stepped up. It’s a small but deeply rooted congregation where Jewish life has endured for generations—now facing the long road of recovery.

In response, 222 donors across Greater Washington raised nearly $60,000 to support restoration and healing, ensuring Beth Israel can continue to serve as a place of worship, gathering, and Jewish life. Per the congregation’s request, funds are being distributed by the Jewish Federations of North America to reach them directly and with care.

Moments like this remind us what Federation is for: to mobilize resources when crisis hits, and to build a more connected, secure, and vibrant Jewish community every day.

Thank you to everyone who gave. Your generosity sent a clear message: they are not alone and Jewish life will continue to thrive. 

This is what it means to show up as a Jewish community. This is the power of collective giving.

More than $300 million in federal security funding is available this year to help protect Jewish institutions. Accessing that funding, however, is competitive, technical, and time-sensitive.

That’s where JShield comes in.

Funding Helps—But Access Isn’t Automatic

Federal security grants can make a real difference, but only if institutions are able to secure them. The process is competitive and complex, and without support, too many opportunities are left on the table.

This year, lawmakers have proposed allocating approximately $300 million to the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP), a $25 million increase over last year. It’s an important step but accessing that funding still isn’t simple or guaranteed. Applying requires time, technical expertise, and careful coordination—resources many organizations don’t have while also running programs, supporting families, and serving their communities.

Where Federation Leads

Through JShield, The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington helps local Jewish institutions do this work with clarity and confidence. The support is practical and hands-on: advising organizations, preparing grant applications, and guiding them through a process that can otherwise feel overwhelming. This support is provided at no cost to institutions.

In 2025 alone, this work helped bring more than $5.25 M in security funding into our community. That funding helps institutions access resources they might otherwise miss and strengthens the safety of Jewish life across our region.

Security Is Ongoing Work

There is no finish line when it comes to security. It’s not a single grant or a one-time investment. It’s ongoing work that requires expertise, coordination, and strong relationships.

Through JShield, and with direct support from community donors, we help Jewish institutions prepare, apply, and stay focused on serving their communities.

This past week I had the privilege of joining an informal group of Jewish foundation and Federation leaders to discuss issues facing Jewish life. This year especially, I appreciated the intentional time, set aside from my usual schedule, to dive into some deep discussions. The seventy-degree weather didn’t hurt either.

The tenor of our time together included a clear focus on the future. Everyone agreed that fighting antisemitism remains an urgent and essential priority for which we need to have a more integrated and effective strategy. At the same time, people were most eager to talk about the things we could build together. How to strengthen Jewish engagement, communal trust, bridges to other communities, our vision for a vibrant, pluralistic Jewish future, and so on.

Coursing through the week was the idea that now is a time to go all in. We are living in a moment that calls on us to grapple with the most critical issues facing the Jewish community. This is not a time for avoidance or incrementalism. We should not—and must not—shy away from what needs to be done.

And we can do it! Because the other consistent takeaway was that we collectively have the capacity to meet this moment so long as we work together. No single individual, organization, or foundation can achieve their goals independently but combined, we have everything we need to realize our shared ambitions. The scale and complexity of both the challenges and the opportunities we face demand collaboration, humility, and shared responsibility.

In the end, I left for the airport feeling hopeful. There are extraordinary people across the country doing extraordinary work on behalf of the Jewish people, thoughtfully, courageously, and with deep care for our community. I want to hold onto this thought for 2026 and, like the California sun, soak up all its benefits.

Over the weekend, an act of antisemitic arson devastated Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Mississippi—an attack not only on a building, but on the heart of Jewish life in a small and geographically isolated community. In a region with few nearby Jewish institutions, the loss of a synagogue carries particular weight. It was an attack on Jewish life in a place where sustaining it is neither easy nor assumed.

Several Torah scrolls were destroyed or damaged in the fire, a profound spiritual and communal loss for the congregation. One Torah that survived the Holocaust was protected and not damaged. Its survival does not lessen what was lost, but it stands as a reminder of the endurance of Jewish life in the face of hatred.

This was not vandalism. It was a deliberate act of antisemitic violence, echoing a painful history for this congregation, which was bombed by the Ku Klux Klan in 1967 for its civil rights leadership.
For Jews in small Southern communities, maintaining Jewish life often already requires resilience, vigilance, and deep commitment. When a synagogue is targeted, the loss extends far beyond physical walls. It disrupts the ability to gather, to worship, and to remain visible as a Jewish community. Our hearts are with the Jackson Jewish community as they begin the long and painful work of rebuilding.

We are working in close coordination with national and regional partners, including Jewish Federations of North America, as well as Federation partners in the region, including the Memphis Jewish Federation, the nearest Federation community. In response, The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington has opened a dedicated fund to support recovery and rebuilding efforts. This approach helps ensure support is coordinated, responsible, and responsive to real needs on the ground, while allowing the affected community to focus on care, recovery, and rebuilding.

How You Can Help

Support recovery and rebuilding efforts through a dedicated fund coordinated by The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington. Funds raised will be directed to trusted, vetted partners working directly with the congregation and community.

At the same time, this attack reinforces why shared investment in community security remains essential. Synagogues and Jewish institutions should never have to stand alone in protecting themselves. Here in Greater Washington, we continue to strengthen preparedness, infrastructure, and coordination through our community security efforts, reflecting our commitment to protecting Jewish life today and into the future.

This is the role Federation plays every day: connecting our community and its donors to moments of greatest need, stewarding resources with care, and helping ensure Jewish life can endure wherever it is threatened.

Moments like this test us, and they also remind us why collective action remains one of the most powerful expressions of Jewish responsibility and care.

Recently, a security concern was identified and reported quickly thanks to the awareness and vigilance of a few community members. Because they trusted their instincts and spoke up, the situation was addressed promptly and did not escalate.

While the incident itself was resolved, it offers an important reminder: training matters—and so does taking action when something doesn’t feel right.

Awareness Is a Skill We Can All Build

Every one of us has a role to play in maintaining safe, welcoming environments across our community and within our institutions. Sometimes that role looks like participating in a security training. Other times, it’s simply noticing what’s around you and trusting your intuition.

Small observations can matter more than we realize:

• An unfamiliar person lingering
• Clothing or behavior that doesn’t fit the setting
• A vehicle parked in an unusual way
• A conversation that feels out of place

Individually, these details may seem minor. Together, they can provide critical information—but only if someone chooses to say something.

As We Look Ahead

As we enter a new year, we know the Jewish community will continue to navigate complex and challenging moments. One of the ways we care for one another is by staying alert, informed, and prepared.

JShield supports this work by offering free security trainings for individuals and institutions across our community. These sessions help build confidence, sharpen awareness, and provide practical tools for navigating uncertain situations.

Just as importantly, we encourage everyone to:

• Trust yourself when something feels off. Your instincts are often the first line of defense.
• Speak up promptly. Timely reporting allows for effective response and mitigation, whether that means contacting JShield, your institution’s security team, a staff member, or local authorities.

Looking Out for One Another

Our strength as a community has always come from the way we look out for one another. This moment reinforces a simple but powerful truth: safety is a shared responsibility—a team effort. When we act together, we are more resilient.

Thank you for your continued partnership, your vigilance, and your commitment to keeping our community safe and welcoming.

Last week, I wrote about how fed up I felt in the wake of the Bondi attack and how imperative it is that leaders take the threat of antisemitism seriously. My frustration holds as we continue to see leaders dismiss antisemitism as simply “free speech” or as reasonable debate. But today, I want to linger on a more life-affirming note.

I’ve been marveling at all the stories coming out recently about people who, without hesitation, have stood up to help others. The accounts are humbling, inspiring, and serve as testaments to the good inside us. There’s Ahmed el Ahmed who singlehandedly disarmed one of the Bondi shooters and in doing so saved lives, rebuked ISIS ideology, and offered the world a stunning example of heroism. There’s Boris and Sofia Gurman who also confronted one of the Bondi gunmen, giving their lives to save others just weeks before their 35th wedding anniversary. There’s Spencer Yang, a first-year student at Brown who was shot in the leg and still managed to take care of the guy next to him, keeping him conscious until help arrived. And so many more.

I am also, like many of you, thinking about Rob Reiner. My family and I love his movies. Watching The Princess Bride as a family is a core memory for me. Rob’s films always leave me feeling better about people. He had a knack for exploring and celebrating our common instincts and potential for love, including our tendency toward empathy, in ways both subtle and heartwarming. As one commenter wrote on Stephen King’s tribute to the filmmaker, “Rob Reiner’s humanness was turned up to 11.” (If you know, you know…).

This, to me, is the whole game, to find a way to crank up our humanness as high as it will go. In this age of isolation and online rage, there will be no greater power than our ability to tap into our uniquely messy, endearing, creative, loving human traits. There is no foe too great that cannot be bested with our humanity.

In these final days of 2025, I’m holding onto this thought and looking around at all the light piercing through the darkness. We can each of us make a difference in astounding ways (to this end, there’s still time to give to Federation’s Annual Campaign!). I may not have the courage of those heroes at Bondi or the artistic skill of a filmmaker, but I love my community and look forward to serving it alongside all of you in the year ahead. As Rob Reiner might say, storming the castle to build a better future is best done together.

Shabbat Shalom and wishes for a happy, safe, and healthy new year.