The Tepper Foundation Creates Security Fund to Protect College Campuses and Jewish Meeting Places Amid Rising Antisemitism
New fund offsets increased security expenses of current grantees working with Jewish communities following a spike in antisemitic incidents and threats
SHORT HILLS, N.J. (November 13, 2023) - Today, in response to the spike in antisemitic incidents and threats across the United States, The Tepper Foundation has seeded a new Security Fund with $2 million that will go towards increased security at colleges, community centers, synagogues, Jewish Federations, and other Jewish communal organizations. This initial funding is being made available to the foundation’s current grantee partners and could quickly scale up to meet the need as security assessments are conducted.
This Security Fund was launched following the foundation’s initial $3.25 million in donations to organizations working to support victims of the Hamas attack in Israel.
While most Jewish organizations have existing funds dedicated to security, the extreme rise in antisemitism around the country has led many of these institutions to pull money from other budget lines to fulfill the increased security needs. The Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism recently recorded a nearly 400% increase in preliminary antisemitic incidents reported year-over-year following the October 7 attack by Hamas. To address this surge, The Tepper Foundation is collaborating with Hillel International to identify college campuses that require increased security for their students, as well as with local Jewish organizations and their affiliated agencies and synagogues.
“At The Tepper Foundation, we want everyone to have the opportunity to live free from identity-based hate,” said David Tepper, Founder and Chair of the Board of The Tepper Foundation. “Throughout our history, our team has worked closely with Jewish community-based partners to combat hate and antisemitism, and today’s commitment is to help Jewish Americans feel safe given the alarming spike in incidents – whether on campus, in their place of worship or out in the community.”
“This new fund was established to meet the current, unprecedented need to protect the places most important to us – synagogues and spaces where Jewish Americans gather,” said Marian Stern, Portfolio Manager at The Tepper Foundation. “Given the urgency of the situation, our priority was to get money out the door as soon as possible, ensuring that our grantees are able to increase security swiftly.”
The Tepper Foundation recognizes that the war in Israel has sparked an alarming rise in hate for a variety of communities. The foundation will continue to stay in close touch with community partners as the conflict unfolds, responding to the needs of all victims of the war, including increasing its current commitments to organizations that address hate-based activity against other marginalized communities in the United States. The new Security Fund is in addition to The Tepper Foundation’s existing commitment of more than $3 million to combat all identity-based hate and antisemitism this year.
Since 1996, The Tepper Foundation has worked to combat identity-based hate through its grantee partners. The foundation’s Jewish giving work is split into two focus areas: Jewish life, made up of grantmaking to organizations that work on community building, early childhood and families; and combating antisemitism, supporting grantees that are dedicated to combating prejudice and hate crimes against the Jewish people on college campuses, in the media and in the public square.
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About The Tepper Foundation: The Tepper Foundation is a family foundation that supports effective organizations in New Jersey and across the United States. Through these grantee partnerships, the foundation works to meet people’s basic needs like food and housing; provide relief in the face of disasters; support the Jewish community; safeguard rights; and strengthen the nonprofit sector. Founded in 1996 by David Tepper, the foundation has supported grantees with hundreds of millions of dollars in direct support since its inception and continues to expand its giving. Learn more at www.tepperfoundation.org.
Media Contact: info@tepperfoundations.org