SAFETY & Security Fund
Dear Temple Israel & Education Center community,
These past months have been terrifying and heartbreaking for the Jewish community. The horror of the attacks on Israel, followed by the resulting war in Gaza and the uptick in anti-Semitism around the world have been absolutely overwhelming. As your synagogue community, we have been so proud of the way that you’ve shown up to learn, to pray, seek comfort, and to provide support to each other in this difficult time. Your eagerness to keep on engaging in Jewish life and to fight anti-Semitism on multiple fronts is empowering and inspiring.
This is especially true when one of the fears we’ve heard from many of you is regarding safety when you and your loved ones are at TI. Security has been a key priority at Temple Israel for many years, and while we wish it didn’t need to be, we’re grateful that at times like these when people do feel afraid, we have multiple layers of security already in place.
That having been said, we also recognize that these are unusual times. We have had a need to increase our police presence, particularly to protect our youngest and most vulnerable members in the Education Center and are constantly evaluating our facility and training our staff to be prepared for any scenario. The financial cost of doing so is quite large, and is increasing both because of our growing needs and the price of hiring officers. In 2022, we spent more than $40,000 on security, and in 2023, we will have spent more than $55,000.
To that end, we’ve created a Safety & Security Fund to help keep our campus as secure as possible. Your generosity, in any amount you're able to give, will enable us to take reasonable, proactive safety measures as recommended by our Security Committee, so that cost is not the deciding factor in how well we are able to protect those who come to learn, worship, and gather here. Your gift towards this fund is tax deductible.
We know that so many of you already give generously to Temple Israel and to other charities. We hope that you’ll consider making an additional gift this year towards the Safety & Security Fund at TI, and that we’ll one day look back on this time and say “how lucky are we” that none of our worries ever came to fruition.
Thank you for considering a contribution to this important fund.
Amy Knoblock-Hahn, President
On behalf of Temple Israel’s Board of Trustees
Your generosity, in any amount you're able to give, will enable us to take reasonable, proactive safety measures as recommended by our Security Committee. These measures may include:
- $50 - hardware to secure one classroom from intruders
- $250 - security for one Shabbat service
- $500 - an 8-hour security shift
- $1,500 - annual upkeep for our secure entry system
- $2,500 - license plate reading camera
- $6,500 - recommended campus security hardware upgrades
- $16,000 - security costs for one month
- $50,000 - security costs for one quarter
Donate
Make a one-time donation the Safety & Security Fund below, or click the link to set up recurring payments to provide ongoing support.
Want to set up regular recurring payments? On the payment page, you will have the opportunity to set up ongoing payments in an amount and frequency that you would like. Thank you for your generosity and support of this ongoing need!
