US senator calls to increase non-profit security grant funding in light of rising antisemitism
Rosen urged Congress to reform the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which helps at-risk houses of worship offset security costs like hiring guards, installing cameras, and reinforcing doors.
Senator Jacky Rosen of Nevada implored lawmakers on Monday to significantly expand federal financial support for religious entities, particularly amid a surge in antisemitic threats and violence during the High Holy Days.Speaking from the Senate podium, Rosen, who co-founded and serves as co-chair of the Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism, underscored the immense financial and psychological strain faced by congregations as they observe Rosh Hashanah and prepare for Yom Kippur.Citing recent data from the Anti-Defamation League, Rosen pointed out that 2025 marked the third-worst year on record for antisemitic incidents in the United States, with physical assaults against Jewish individuals reaching alarming new heights.FBI statistics revealed that Jewish Americans were the victims of approximately 70% of religiously motivated hate crimes in 2025, despite comprising only 2% of the population, according to Rosen.Focusing on a series of violent incidents across the nation over the past year, Rosen cited a synagogue firebombing in Jackson, Mississippi, and vandalism at churches in Austin, Texas; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Hot Springs, Arkansas; and Oak Park, Michigan.
She also mentioned a particularly alarming attack in West Bloomfield, Michigan, where a driver plowed his vehicle into a synagogue and preschool before opening fire.Rosen recounted her recent visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum in Poland, emphasizing the gravity of societal apathy towards rising prejudice. She noted that the Holocaust was not solely the result of Nazi actions but also due to the inaction of millions who remained silent in the face of dehumanization and prejudice.Rosen, drawing from her previous role as president of Nevada's largest Reform synagogue, stressed that security expenses now represent the largest share of many congregations' operating budgets.
She cited a Jewish Federations of North America study showing that the Jewish community spends an average of $1 billion annually on security measures. In the United States in 2026, Rosen warned that worshippers must contend with locked doors, bulletproof glass, and armed guards simply to gather with family and friends for prayer.Speaking to Congress, Rosen called for the full funding and reform of the Nonprofit Security Grant Program to assist at-risk places of worship in offsetting security costs such as hiring guards, installing surveillance cameras, and reinforcing doors.
She introduced bipartisan legislation, the Jewish American Security Act, alongside Senator James Lankford, which seeks to nearly triple funding for the program and create a new Department of Justice grant initiative to bolster state and local law enforcement protection of vulnerable houses of worship.Rosen emphatically asserted that there can be no tolerance for further attacks, synagogue targeting, or families fearing to enter their places of worship.
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