All six of the Jewish Federations in Texas (Austin, Dallas, El Paso and Las Cruces, Fort Worth and Tarrant County, Houston, and San Antonio), are collaborating to organize an advocacy day at the Texas Capitol for Jewish communities throughout Texas on February 4, 2025.
This biennial event will bring lay leaders and community members together to educate legislators about the policy priorities that are important to the Texas Jewish community. Jewish Texans will gather in Austin to meet with legislators to raise awareness of antisemitism and other important issues facing Texas Jewish communities, including the need for increased security funding to help protect non-profit institutions and houses of worship.
As a result of our advocacy during the 88th Texas Legislative Session, Jewish Federations in Texas were successful in securing a $2 million appropriation in the 2024-2025 Texas State Budget to increase the funding available for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (“NSGP”). While FEMA’s “NSGP” provides funding opportunities for security needs for all nonprofits and houses of worship – Jewish or not – these federal funds allocated do not meet the demand. In 2023, NSGP funding for Texas was only able to cover 42 percent of applications received by the Office of the Governor.
In this time of rising antisemitism and hate, providing safety and security training and site assessments for faith-based and other nonprofit organizations is critical. The increase in threats and incidents have directly affected the Dallas-area Jewish community, including, but not limited to the antisemitic terrorist attack at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville and online threats toward synagogues in Texas in July 2022. “The Jewish community in Texas cares about issues that impact our Jewish and greater communities, and we look forward to working with our state leadership in Austin to support a safe and thriving Texas,” said Michelle Golan Friedman, the Director of Community Relations and Public Affairs at the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas.
Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas’ Interim CEO, Rabbi Mordechai Harris, looks forward to furthering relationships with state legislators. “It is important that we continue to build bridges with Texas leadership, gaining their support to help protect our institutions and our social service agency partners that help build strong and vibrant communities throughout Texas. Without these partnerships, much of our Jewish community’s needs would not be met,” said Harris.
For more information, please contact Kelsey Radunsky at the information above.