Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh
Tree of Life Synagogue in PittsburghReuters

On October 27th, 2018, an antisemitic gunman entered the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh and shot in all directions, killing 11 Jews and injuring others.

This Saturday, the 18th of the Jewish month of Cheshvan, marks the fourth anniversary (on the Jewish calendar) of the massacre, which was the worst antisemitic attack in US history. In the meantime, antisemitism in the United States is on the rise, and according to a PEW poll, most American Jews feel less safe as Jews now than they did five years ago.

The anniversary, together with this grim data, raises the question: Were the correct lessons learned from the Pittsburgh incident?

Eric Fingerhut, the CEO and President of the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) thinks so: He says that the attack motivated advancement in the securing of North America's Jewish institutions.

This advancement is expressed in JFNA's new campaign called LiveSecure, an unprecedented security campaign that aims to raise tens of millions of dollars to ensure the communities' security and resilience. Through funding by LiveSecure, the local federation can provide the training, tools, and resources needed to protect visitors at Jewish community centers, synagogues, schools, senior centers, summer camps, and other centers of Jewish life.

The effort is in cooperation with the Secure Community Network (SCN), JFNA's security branch, and with the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI, to secure the Jewish community.

According to the JFNA, the project has so far raised $62 million, which will be matched by the local federations to a budget of $130 million to secure Jewish communities in North America. In addition, 60 community security officers, who serve as rapid responders to antisemitic incidents, have been enlisted and trained, millions of dollars worth of equipment have been purchased, and the general readiness for a serious antisemitic incident has improved immensely.

The JFNA states that while they are happy with the improvement, they feel that it is not enough and that there is still a long way to go. Part of the effort is aimed at the government, to increase the budget for the nonprofit security grant program. So far, the JFNA is calling the effort a success, with the budget rising from $90 million to $250 million.

"Four years since the worst attack on Jews on American soil, we are still mourning. But what is for sure is that this terrible tragedy motivated action; since October 27, 2018, we made tremendous progress in securing our institutions and building safer communities," states Fingerhut.