Last year, Jews were the target of 60% of all religious-based hate crimes. Antisemitic attacks in Massachusetts increased by 189% vs. the previous year.

Here is how the Federation is protecting our Berkshire Jewish Community:

• Partnering with the Secure Community Network (SCN), the official homeland security and safety initiative of the organized Jewish community in North America, to provide the services of a dedicated Community Security Advisor and the resources of the SCN network.
• Working with local Jewish institutions regarding security and safety, we are developing community-wide best practice policies and procedures.
• Providing Berkshire Jewish Institutions with Threat, Vulnerability, and Risk Assessments.
• Offering Situational Awareness Training, Countering Active Threat Training (CATT), Greeter Training, and Stop the Bleed Training.
• Collaborating with law enforcement agencies at all levels, including federal (FBI), state (MA State Police, Commonwealth Fusion Center,) local Police departments (Pittsfield, Great Barrington, Lenox and North Adams,) and the Berkshires District Attorney’s Office, on information gathering, intelligence sharing, and threat mitigation.
• Federation has provided over $45,000 in grants to Berkshire Jewish organizations for security upgrades to their facilities. 

How You Can Help

With your generous support, we can ensure that the Berkshire Jewish community is prepared to prevent and – if need be – quickly respond to any security threat. Gifts and pledges of any size are most welcome. To learn more about the Jewish Berkshires LiveSecure Initiative, or to make a gift to the initiative, please contact Dara Kaufman, Executive Director, at dkaufman@jewishberkshires.org.