Amid heightened concerns about the safety and security of the American Jewish community in New Jersey and around the country following this weekend’s horrific attacks on Israel, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, along with Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy, who also serves as Chairman of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, Alabama Senator Katie Britt, the ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, Nevada Senator Jacky Rosen and West Virgina Senator Shelley Moore Capito are calling for additional funding for FEMA’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) to be included in any supplemental funding package Congress may consider.

The NSGP, which is funded through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, provides funding support for target hardening and other physical security enhancements to nonprofit organizations, including synagogues and other places of worship, that are at high risk of terrorist attack.

“The harrowing images coming out of Israel and the rising toll of confirmed deaths and number of civilians being held hostage by Hamas — including American citizens — are devastating and remind us that we cannot ignore the rise in antisemitism around the world or here at home. It’s crucial that we take every precaution to keep all of our religious communities safe,” Booker said.

“In addition to providing security assistance to Israel, Congress should increase funding for the Department of Homeland Security’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which provides important resources to safeguard nonprofits that are at an increased risk of violence, including Jewish houses of worship and other religious-affiliated groups across the country,” he added.