Before issuing a kneejerk condemnation of Beckwith’s comments, the JCRC should thus first have addressed their merits. They are considerable.

In the immediate wake of the largest post-Holocaust mass murder of Jews, the Hamas massacre of October 7, 2023, chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine at Indiana, Purdue, and Butler Universities all held rallies in support of the kidnapping, rapes, and massacres of that day, branding these despicable crimes as “resistance.” Similarly, 57.5% of American Muslims surveyed in the wake of October 7th claimed the Hamas jihadi attack on Jewish civilians was at least somewhat justified.

The Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), billed as “the largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization in the United States,” said that he was “happy” to see the atrocities of that day, which he called “self-defense.” In a 2024 survey, CAIR found overwhelming Muslim support for the notion that Israel’s efforts to free hostages from rape, starvation, and torture were actually a “genocide.”

Here in Indiana, Shaykh Mongy El-Quesny, Imam of the Northwest Indiana Islamic Center, called for “annihilation” of those who support Israel, while Sheikh Abdullah Alhajj, Imam of the Highland Masjid, denounced those who neutralized Jihadi terrorists as “enemies of Islam.” Masjid Al-Fajr of Indianapolis hosted a discussion claiming an “Islamic war” against “Zionists” and promoted antisemitic conspiracy theories. Is the JCRC claiming to know Islamic beliefs better than Indiana’s leading Imams?

While we may not agree with everything Lieutenant Governor Beckwith says or how he says it, JAACI believes that he has every right to call out hatred within the Muslim community, just as he does for any other group or community within Indiana. The JCRC and its allies cannot claim to represent the Jewish community while ignoring the existential threat to Jewish life in Indiana now festering under their noses.

JAACI touts its own strong record of supporting Jewish rights and opposing antisemitic boycotts, and calls upon all people of good will to condemn the threats to Jews and other Americans regardless of ideology, religion or political persuasion.

 Hundreds of protesters waving Israeli and American flags gathered Tuesday night, just steps from Gracie Mansion on Manhattan’s Upper East Side to rally against Democratic Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

Speakers at the rally accused the mayor of failing to protect the city’s Jewish population and ignoring antisemitism. The protest featured a long list of speakers, including former “Big Time Rush” star James Maslow, artist Scott LoBaido, Lawfare Project founder Brooke Goldstein and several pro-Israel activists.

The rally was organized by #EndJewHatred, a grassroots group focused on combating antisemitism.

In between the speeches, the crowd broke into chants of “Remove Mamdani” and “USA, USA,” and sang “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

“This is not the New York City I knew and loved,” Ari Ackerman, an entrepreneur and outspoken pro-Israel advocate, told Fox News Digital.

“There’s a different ideology that has taken over by the man who’s living in that house right over there,” he added, pointing at Gracie Mansion, “and it’s not good. It’s changed everything.”

Mamdani’s friction with the city’s Jewish community came into focus during his campaign as some questioned his stance on Israel, refusal to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada” and his ties to activists like Hasan Piker and Mahmoud Khalil.

Antisemitic incidents have surged in New York City since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attacks in Israel. Recently, there have been anti-Israel protests outside Jewish institutions and synagogues.

Since Mamdani took office in January, tensions have remained high, with many Jewish New Yorkers saying they do not feel safe in their own city. New York City is home to the largest Jewish population in the world outside Israel.

Just days after another wave of antisemitic threats and increasing security fears at Jewish places of worship across America, religious leaders descended on Capitol Hill this month with a blunt message for lawmakers: houses of worship are under siege and many congregations simply cannot afford to protect themselves alone. They need help…and financial assistance.

Rabbis, pastors, Muslim leaders and other religious and security officials spent the past week urging the U.S. Congress to significantly expand federal funding for synagogue, church and mosque protection. The vehicle for doing so is the Nonprofit Security Grant Program.

The request is pretty massive – an increase of funding to $1 billion annually as threats against faith communities continue to rise nationwide.

The coalition includes multiple religious groups, but the reality is that much of the urgency surrounding the push centers on the Jewish community.

For many Jewish Americans, synagogue life today comes with armed guards, metal barriers, surveillance cameras and active shooter drills. In some cases, Jewish schools resemble hardened security compounds more commonly associated with government facilities than religious education centers.

Rabbi Yaakov Menken, Executive Vice President of the Coalition for Jewish Values, told ALL ISRAEL NEWS that the transformation of Jewish life in America is painfully obvious.

“It is very common today for a synagogue to have a combination lock on the door, to deter an invader. How many other American houses of worship have to lock their doors?”

Menken says the changes extend far beyond synagogue entrances. “My children all went to school in what you would describe as an armed compound, with high metal gates. Some even have guards with automatic rifles strapped to their chests. That has become the new normal.”

That “new normal” is visible at synagogues across America. The concern is not theoretical anymore. Jewish institutions across the country remain on edge following months of escalating antisemitic incidents tied to the aftermath of the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks against Israel and the war in Gaza.

Protest activity outside synagogues, threats against Jewish schools and rising online extremism have forced many congregations to significantly rethink security.

The truth of the matter is that for many Jewish Americans, especially, it can feel more like entering a hardened security zone. Welcome to the new reality of Jewish life in America.

During the recent Capitol Hill lobbying effort, Jewish leaders warned lawmakers that demand for security funding has far outpaced available federal resources.

Synagogues are applying for grants to install reinforced doors, bullet-resistant glass, panic buttons, fencing, surveillance systems and trained security personnel – but many are being turned away simply because the money is running out.

According to reports tied to the recent Capitol Hill push, only about one-third of applicants for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program received funding last year because demand vastly exceeded available resources.

The effort to increase federal funding comes as antisemitic incidents continue to surge nationwide. Jewish leaders argue the security burden on synagogues has become financially overwhelming and emotionally taxing.

At a recent Shabbat service in West Bloomfield, Michigan, Rabbi Jen Lader of Temple Israel spoke openly about the growing fear many Jewish families now carry with them into synagogue life. Temple Israel itself became the site of a frightening attack earlier this year. It helped fuel the lobbying push in Washington.

Eric Fingerhut, president and CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America, says synagogues increasingly operate under conditions once associated with airports, embassies or government buildings.

Take the Tree of Life Congregation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as an example. After the 2018 massacre that killed 11 worshippers there, security became key to rebuilding the synagogue in the safest way possible.

Armed security personnel, controlled entry systems and enhanced surveillance are now considered essential components of any future reopening effort. The attack permanently altered how many Jewish institutions nationwide approach security planning.

Meanwhile, Temple Emanu-El in New York City has invested heavily in layered protection measures, including expanded camera systems, reinforced entrances and close coordination with the NYPD.

Security officials at the synagogue consistently assess threats tied to anti-Israel demonstrations and online rhetoric targeting Jewish institutions.

In Los Angeles, Wilshire Boulevard Temple has dramatically increased physical security in recent years. The synagogue now employs extensive surveillance systems, controlled-access entry points and visible armed security presence during major events and Jewish holidays.

Leaders there say the climate changed substantially after antisemitic protests increasingly targeted Jewish neighborhoods and institutions following Oct. 7.

The federal grant program at the center of this additional funding was originally designed to help nonprofits vulnerable to terrorist attacks.

Funds can be used for fencing, reinforced doors, security cameras, alarms, training and armed personnel, but nowadays, the demand has exploded in ways that many religious leaders, especially Jewish officials, would rather not see.

Cover image: Temple Sherith Israel, 2266 California St., San Francisco by Sanfranman59, accessed via Wikimedia Commons with CC BY-SA 3.0 Deed

BALTIMORE (VINnews)-U.S. Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., lauded the Coalition for Jewish Values as a steadfast supporter of Jewish causes during a Zoom event this week launching the organization’s successful fundraising drive.

“There’s been no better ally in the work that I’ve done to fight for the Jewish people than the CJV,” Fine said in his keynote address.

Rep. Randy Fine, the keynote speaker, also said regarding CJV: “When these folks have come after me, and tried to categorize me or miscategorize me, you’ve been willing to publicly have my back, in a time when other so-called Jewish groups… were willing to take the easier path. … The times when I’ve been attacked the most for doing what is right, you all have been there.”

Senator James Lankford emphasized, in a pre-recorded address to CJV’s Rabbinic Circle, the organization’s role in defending religious liberty and confronting antisemitism: “I am proud to stand with you, shoulder to shoulder, to be able to protect religious liberty in our great country. We call it out, we identify it, we push where we can and make sure no one looks away when there are acts of antisemitism.”

Congressman Rich McCormick also praised CJV’s effectiveness and partnership with lawmakers on key issues: “I am really appreciative of CJV for working with me to get things across the finish line. I look forward to working with you in the future.”

Pastor Dumisani Washington, CEO of the Institute for Black Solidarity with Israel, praised CJV for working together against division and hate: “Really appreciate the work that you do. The people that come for the Jewish people are typically the same who come for Black Americans, that’s why it’s so important to build that firewall and to work together.”

And Kayla Toney, Counsel and Amicus Brief Coordinator for First Liberty Institute, highlighted the role of CJV after explaining that Amicus Curiae (Friend of the Court) briefs are “a way for outside groups to lend their expertise and influence.” She said that “This is something that I think CJV is very uniquely positioned to do really really well as a rabbinic organization. … You are in fact one of our very best Amicus supporters. … That’s a lot of time, that’s a lot of care, and these are cases that span the whole range of religious liberty issues. … To lend that expertise that the lawyers aren’t going to get right. We need the rabbis to help us, and the court in fact needs that guidance.”

“We are deeply grateful to our guest speakers for their kind words, and even more to our friends in and beyond the Jewish community who responded so generously to our campaign,” said CJV Executive Vice President Rabbi Yaakov Menken. “All sent the clear message that our mission matters, and that speaking boldly with clarity and conviction is more important now than ever.”

Military action between the United States and Iran remains in limbo as anti-Semitism in the U.S. continues to surge, driven in part by the conflict. President Trump recently encouraged Jewish Americans to observe Shabbat in honor of Jewish Heritage Month and the upcoming 250th anniversary of American independence.

FOX’s Eben Brown speaks with Rabbi Yaakov Menken, Executive Vice President of the Coalition for Jewish Values, who denounces the rise in anti-Semitic incidents and praises the president’s proclamation.

Cover Image: Iranian Flag over Archaeological Site – Bishapur – Southwestern Iran by Adam Jones accessed via Flickr with CC BY 2.0