A toddler paints a paper menorah in preschool. A congregation gathers for Shabbat morning services. Teenagers laugh together at a local leadership group. Seniors meet for lunch at the JCC. Students learn Hebrew after school.

These moments are what Jewish life looks like across Greater Washington on any given day.

Behind the scenes, long before anyone walks through the doors of a synagogue, preschool, JCC, or Jewish organization, community leaders are working tirelessly to help ensure those spaces remain safe, resilient, and prepared.

That’s why the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington is thrilled to welcome Laura Katzif as its full-time Community Security Advisor (CSA) serving Northern Virginia and DC.

Expanding JShield’s Reach Across Greater Washington

For the past two years, Laura has supported JShield, Federation’s community security initiative, in a part-time capacity. Now, in this expanded role, she can continue to increase JShield’s capacity to help Jewish institutions strengthen their security, prepare for emergencies, and build lasting partnerships with local law enforcement.

We all know why this expansion matters right now. The need for robust security is a constant reality we live with as a Jewish community. In a climate of rising antisemitism, we’ve seen devastating reminders right in our own backyard and around the world.

Protecting our community requires much more than just reacting to crises. That’s where JShield’s real value comes in. We don’t believe in “touch-and-go” interventions where someone shows up, checks a box, and leaves. JShield meets our local organizations exactly where they are and helps them build a permanent, proactive culture of security. All free of charge, thanks to our donor community.

Laura brings this exact hands-on mission into her daily work as Community Security Advisor. She works directly with synagogues, schools, and communal spaces throughout Northern Virginia and DC, providing strategic guidance, conducting safety assessments, and delivering training tailored to each space. By also serving as a trusted, everyday liaison with local public safety partners, Laura is helping us build a deeply rooted ecosystem of preparedness and collective resilience.

Decades of Security Leadership

Laura brings more than two decades of experience in corporate security, emergency management, crisis response, and business continuity to the role.

Before joining JShield, she served for six years as Director of Security at the Pozez Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia, overseeing incident response, physical security systems, threat assessments, grant administration, security personnel, and community training. Her career has also included leadership roles with Georgetown University’s Office of Public Safety, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Fairfax County’s Health Department and Office of Emergency Management, and the World Bank Headquarters Security Office. She is also a certified firefighter-paramedic and an active member of both ASIS International and the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals.

Security Is About People

But for Laura, security is about much more than emergency plans.

“I truly believe that faith organizations can act as anchors of neighborhoods by providing community gathering spaces, social services, childcare, education, and other vital resources,” she says. “The safer, more secure, and resilient they are, the more likely the community surrounding them is too. The faith community is interconnected, and whether some want to admit it or not, what affects one community affects everyone.”

That philosophy reflects JShield’s broader mission, helping Jewish organizations continue doing what they do best, bringing people together.

Building a culture of security isn’t about hardening our spaces or living in fear. It’s about protecting the vibrant community life happening inside them. It’s about making sure our children can learn without worry, our families can celebrate together with peace of mind, and our neighbors can gather freely.

Together, We’re Protecting What Matters Most

Security-focused giving through Federation helps keep Jewish life across Greater Washington safe and resilient. And thanks to a generous $250,000 match, gifts to JShield will unlock up to $750,000 in impact for our community. 

Your support helps JShield continue providing the training, coordination, and resources that strengthen the security of Jewish institutions throughout our region.

Please consider making a gift to support this critical work.