New ADL-JFNA Task Force on Security

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: ADL - Jessica Stallone (212) 885-7715

JFNA - Rebecca Dinar (305) 710-5361, rebecca.dinar@jewishfederations.org

TWO FORMER DHS SECRETARIES JOIN ADL AND JFNA TO PROTECT VULNERABLE RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES FROM VIOLENT THREATS

New York, NY, March 28, 2019…Former DHS Secretaries Michael Chertoff and Jeh Johnson will co-chair a new Community Safety and Security Task Force convened by ADL (the Anti- Defamation League), a leading anti-hate organization, and the Secure Community Network (SCN), the homeland security and safety initiative of The Jewish Federations of North America and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. The task force will work to enhance the safety, security and resiliency of religious communities.

Following the October 27th attack on the Jewish community in Pittsburgh, the ADL and SCN came together to address hate, anti-Semitism and threats as well as violence targeted at the Jewish community in the United States. Given that many threats impact all faith-based institutions regardless of affiliation, and as seen in the tragic attack on the Muslim community in New Zealand, the Task Force will develop best practices that can enhance the safety, security, and resilience of all faith-based communities.

The task force will develop best practices to increase coordination and cooperation related to incident tracking, information sharing, reporting and addressing threats, as well as building partnerships within and across communities. Building from the experience and expertise developed within the Jewish community, and inclusive of other faith-based communities, the Task Force will make recommendations to more effectively address hate crimes while enhancing safety and security for all faith-based institutions.

“Protecting our communities and creating cross-faith relationships will both promote the unity within our diverse society and also add critical resources to our security arsenal,” said Michael Chertoff, former Secretary of Homeland Security under President George W. Bush.

“Law enforcement alone cannot protect our communities – communities themselves need to be prepared to work with law enforcement, and to maintain awareness of threats they may face,” said Jeh Johnson, former Secretary of Homeland Security under President Barack Obama. “We need to build partnerships and lift up community capabilities before extremists have the opportunity to become threats.”

A working group will include team members from ADL and SCN, a range of faith and community leaders, as well as representatives from local, state and federal law enforcement, among others.

ADL is a leading anti-hate organization. Founded in 1913 in response to an escalating climate of anti-Semitism and bigotry, its timeless mission is to protect the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment for all. Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of hate with the same vigor and passion. ADL is the first call when acts of anti-Semitism occur. A global leader in exposing extremism, delivering anti-bias education and fighting hate online, ADL’s ultimate goal is a world in which no group or individual suffers from bias, discrimination or hate. More at www.adl.org.

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The Secure Community Network (SCN), a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, is the official homeland security and safety initiative of the organized Jewish community in North America. Founded in 2004, under the auspices of The Jewish Federations of North America and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, SCN serves as the central organization dedicated exclusively to the safety and security of the American Jewish community, working across 147 federations, 50 partner organizations, over 300 independent communities as well as with other partners in the public, private, non-profit and academic sectors. SCN is dedicated to ensuring that Jewish organizations, communities, as well as life and culture can not only exist safely and securely, but flourish.

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The Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) represents 147 Jewish Federations and over 300 Network communities, which raise and distribute more than $2 billion annually and through planned giving and endowment programs to support social welfare, social services and educational needs. The Federation movement, collectively among the top 10 charities on the continent, protects and enhances the well-being of Jews worldwide through the values of tikkun olam (repairing the world), tzedakah (charity and social justice) and Torah (Jewish learning).