$100K is goal for coming budget year to unlock LiveSecure matching grant from JFNA.

By Marshall Weiss, The Dayton Jewish Observer

In addition to its $1.2 million annual campaign, the Jewish Federation launched a second-line campaign at its Presidents Dinner on May 17 — to raise its $100,000 portion of a one-to-one matching grant for 2027 from Jewish Federations of North America’s LiveSecure initiative.

The terms of the Federation’s agreement with JFNA call for the combined $200,000 to provide security services to local Jewish community institutions.

“About $40,000 is specific to us, and the rest is for communitywide security, such as the security director, trainings, security personnel for community events,” Jewish Federation CEO Cathy Gardner said.

“A Jewish community can only survive when it is safe,” Federation Vice President of Resource Development Ted Goldenberg told attendees at the Presidents Dinner.

“According to the most recent FBI data, in 2025, 69% of religion-based hate crimes in the U.S. targeted Jewish communities. That number is staggering, and even more so if you consider that only 2.4% of the U.S. population is Jewish.”

JFNA’s LiveSecure has awarded Dayton’s Jewish Federation a total of $400,000 over three years: $200,000 outright for 2026, $100,000 to be matched locally for 2027, and another $100,000 to be matched locally for 2028.

LiveSecure’s first funding cycle allowed the Federation to expand its security director position, held by retired Centerville Police Officer John Davis, to full-time at the end of August last year.

“With over 36 years in law enforcement, John has proven to be an asset for our entire community,” Goldenberg said at the fundraising dinner. “He brings with him a wealth of knowledge, experience, and connections with other law enforcement professionals and agencies within our area and state. But as with most improvements, there is a financial cost. We are asking members of the community to help support this new initiative that benefits all Jewish organizations within our community.”

Gardner said that going into the Presidents Dinner, the security campaign had already raised $20,000 from donors.

She also said it’s too early to determine if the Federation will add a second-line security campaign in future years.

“I believe as we move forward, the need for security will not go away. The funding for security will have to be more permanent in our community.”

Since Oct. 7, 2023 and the global explosion of anti-Jewish hate crimes, the Federation’s expenses for security have increased from $30,750 in 2023 to an estimated $192,386 by the end of 2026.

This has included grants at the federal and state levels via the Nonprofit Security Grant Program allocated to states by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency, and grants from the private Tepper Foundation, to provide additional security guards at area Jewish institutions with programs for young children.

To read the complete June 2026 Dayton Jewish Observer, click here.