The High Holidays are approaching, along with your last chance to book an exclusive 1:1 consultation with an expert from SCN, URJ's security partner. Many congregational leaders have already participated and taken away actionable advice, including Jason Plotkin, Executive Director of Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan, who shared:
"SCN reached out to our local synagogue liaison and had that gentleman on the call. It was great for our facilities director and I to have this time to review two hot button issues for our community and get the feedback necessary to take back to our lay and staff. We got good feedback that definitely drove some decision making around the high holy days (we are adding metal detectors)."
Ensuring the safety of clergy, staff, and congregants has always been the highest priority for any congregation. However, implementing robust security plans can put a strain on time and resources.
To address the unique challenges of this moment, we are pleased to announce a new suite of safety and security resources, available immediately. These include on-demand support and exclusive opportunities for URJ congregational leaders to connect directly with trusted security experts, providing access to best practices and leading figures in safety and security.
Our partner in this bold endeavor is Secure Community Network (SCN). As the official homeland security and safety organization of the organized Jewish community in North America, SCN is uniquely positioned to anticipate and respond to the evolving needs of URJ congregations.
Resources include:
- A dedicated email address (security@urj.org) for non-emergency security-related questions, providing direct access to expert support
- A variety of on-demand digital resources and actionable tools to aid congregational professional and lay leaders in updating security plans, procedures and assessments
- Access to live and archived webinars for security best practices
- Exclusive 1:1 sessions for congregation leaders to discuss their unique security concerns with SCN professionals on 8/20, 8/27, 9/3, 9/10, 9/17, and 9/24. Register now (limited slots available).
- Guidance in identifying, collecting relevant information for and submitting applications for Nonprofit Security Grant opportunities
Frequently Asked Questions
Nonprofit SCN is the official homeland security and safety initiative of the organized Jewish community in North America, working across 146 federations, 50 partner organizations, over 300 independent communities as well as with other partners in the public, private, non-profit and academic sectors. SCN provides timely, credible threat and incident information to both law enforcement and community partners, serves as the community’s formal liaison with federal law enforcement and coordinates closely with state and local law enforcement partners.
Resources include a dedicated email for non-emergency security-related questions, on-demand digital resources, live webinars on security best practices, toolkits for updating security plans, and guidance on grant applications.
Support includes answering security questions, providing digital resources and live webinars, offering toolkits for security updates, and providing guidance with grant applications.
The sessions are scheduled immediately following SCN High Holiday webinars on 8/20, 8/27, 9/3, 9/10, 9/17, and 9/24.
In addition to grant application webinars, SCN will offer elevated support to URJ congregations, providing guidance on how to effectively apply for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program. SCN will also be providing URJ congregations cohort-based grant writing education opportunities.