Jewish Billionaire Plans To Donate $1M To Upgrade NYC Synagogue Safety

Paul Singer Image by Getty

By Ari Feldman November 6, 2018

Jewish billionaire Paul Singer’s foundation plans to donate $1 million to security upgrades at New York City synagogues in the wake of last month’s massacre in a Pittsburgh synagogue, the New York Post reported.

The funds will cover safety reviews, security camera installation, security barriers and other security additions, depending on the synagogue’s location and size.

“The tragedy in Pittsburgh was a painful reminder of the need to revisit our community’s security needs,” Singer told the Post. “This is an urgent project.”

The money will go to the UJA-Federation of New York, which will oversee the disbursements. It will help seed a fund that the Federation is planning that will be earmarked for synagogue security.

It’s not clear how far $1 million can go in supporting year-round security programs, especially at some of the major synagogues in the New York City area. The rabbi for Beth Tfiloh, the largest Modern Orthodox synagogue in the country, located in a suburb outside Baltimore, told the Forward the congregation spends $250,000 annually on security.

Ari Feldman is a staff writer at the Forward. Contact him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @aefeldman

Ari Feldman is a staff writer at the Forward. He covers Jewish religious organizations, synagogue life, anti-Semitism and the Orthodox world. If you have any tips, you can email him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @aefeldman.

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