The Jewish communities of Oregon are fortunate to have access to $250,000 per year to defray security costs for a three-year cycle that began in late 2024. These funds, granted by the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland, were fundraised from the community as part of a matching grant agreement with the Jewish Federations of North America, which provided the funds to cover the cost of the security director position (yours truly). The funds have been a lifeline for some organizations that have seen dramatic increases in security costs. Events that previously would not have used a guard now do, sometimes simply to make attendees feel safer. Additional emergency funds were generously provided by the Tepper Foundation and directed to security for preschool programs. This was a nationally available grant aimed at the most vulnerable populations.

One requirement of accepting the Tepper funds was that the local security director had to hold interfaith trainings. As you know, no one does faith-based security like the Jewish community. We are, unfortunately, considered experts in this area compared to other religious groups. However, all faiths have experienced attacks from within and outside their communities. Some of the more prominent ones last year included the Annunciation Catholic Church and School in Minneapolis, Minn., in August 2025. A shooter opened fire during a school mass, killing two children and injuring 17–21 others. In September 2025, in Brand Blanc, Mich., at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a gunman crashed a vehicle into the church, set it on fire, and opened fire during Sunday services, resulting in four deaths and eight injuries. In June 2025, at CrossePoint Community Church in Wayne, Mich., a mass shooting attempt was thwarted by church security, who fatally shot the gunman. My takeaway is that no faith group is free from potential harm.

With that knowledge, it is incredibly important that the Jewish community share its resources and best practices with others. Since taking this role in 2022, I have continually worked with other faith groups and non-profits, sharing knowledge, helping them make emergency plans, assessing their physical buildings, etc. They are always so grateful for the help, and, like many, lack the funds to pay for this type of expertise. I enjoy this work, feel it’s an important part of working in a faith-based environment, and I promise my efforts do not detract from my time with the Jewish community.

Last month, I participated in and/or hosted four interfaith events. We focused primarily on active threat training, operational plans, situational awareness, and usher-greeter training. The goal was to cover a lot of topics in a shallow way so that groups could get a sense of what they might need more of. Each event had a great mix of faith groups and altogether totaled more than 25 congregations. Some communities have strong security plans and used the training as a refresher, while others are just starting to think about this issue. If you have colleagues or friends in other faith groups (or non-profits), please feel free to share my contact information with them. I will continue to hold interfaith trainings, likely delving more deeply into relevant topics, and I’d love to grow my contact list.

As always, if you have incidents to report, please email me or use the incident reporting form on the JFGP website at https://jewishportland.org/security . You’ll also find my online training calendar there with links to registration. I can also be reached at  [email protected] and 872-273-9214.