RELEASE: Gottheimer Claws Back More than $1.7 Million in Federal Security Funding for NJ Houses of Worship

Above: Gottheimer visits Bris Avrohom of Fair Lawn ahead of the High Holidays.

NORTH JERSEY — Today, September 10, 2026, Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) announced $1.7 million clawed-back for eight nonprofit organizations across North Jersey for Fiscal Year 2025 Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) funding, delivering critical resources to help churches, synagogues, temples, and faith-based schools in the Fifth District protect their communities from the growing threat of hate and violence. Gottheimer also announced the funding at Bris Avrohom of Fair Lawn and visited Rabbi Mendel Zaltzman and Rabbi Mordechai Kanelsky ahead of the High Holidays.

See video of Gottheimer’s visit here.

Gottheimer also hosted a briefing with the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (NJOHSP) and Jewish faith leaders from across North Jersey to address the security threats facing the Jewish community as they prepare for the High Holidays. The meeting brought together NJOHSP Director Hauck, state leadership, and Jewish faith leaders to discuss the current threat landscape, coordination between law enforcement and religious institutions, and the urgent need to deliver federal security resources to houses of worship — the very resources this NSGP funding provides.

Gottheimer has been pushing for the long-delayed resources, passed in 2024, to be distributed after clawing it back for the district. The Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP), administered by the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), provides funding to nonprofits at high risk of terrorist attacks or hate-related incidents, with a particular focus on houses of worship and other faith-based institutions like schools and community centers. The funding allows organizations to invest in physical security upgrades like cameras, gates, bollards, and blast-resistant film, and to provide training that helps staff and congregants recognize and respond to threats.

Anti-Jewish hate crimes account for nearly two-thirds of all religion-based hate crimes reported to the FBI nationwide. Antisemitic incidents in the United States have increased by 68% since 2022, before October 7. In 2025, ADL recorded 6,274 antisemitic incidents across the United States. That means Jewish Americans were targeted an average of 17 times per day. New Jersey recorded the third-highest total of antisemitic incidents across the nation in 2025, with Bergen County ranking first in highest rates of antisemitic incidents in New Jersey. 

Gottheimer has been a vocal advocate for this vital funding to be distributed. Last year, Gottheimer led a bipartisan group of 78 colleagues in urging the Administration to reverse its decision to pause the drawdown of federal grant funding at FEMA, which includes the Nonprofit Security Grant Program.

“No one should ever have to worry about their safety while praying, learning, or gathering with their community,” said Congressman Gottheimer (NJ-5). “With hate crimes and antisemitic incidents spiking at historical levels, this funding is crucial. It gives our religious communities the resources they need to strengthen their security and protect the people who walk through their doors every day. I’ll keep fighting in Washington to make sure North Jersey’s nonprofits and religious institutions get every dollar they need to stay safe.”

The following North Jersey organizations were awarded funding:

• Bris Avrohom of Fair Lawn (Fair Lawn) — $380,000
• Young Israel of Fort Lee (Fort Lee) — $190,000
• Grace Redeemer Church (Glen Rock) — $190,000
• Hindu Samaj Temple of Mahwah (Mahwah) — $175,750
• The Frisch School (Paramus) — $380,000
• The Church Gathered and Scattered (Teaneck) — $95,000
• The Young Israel of Teaneck (Teaneck) — $190,000
• Temple Emanuel of the Pascack Valley (Woodcliff Lake) — $190,000

Gottheimer will continue working in Congress to protect and expand funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program and push FEMA for faster turnaround and greater transparency so that at-risk organizations can plan and receive their security investments with confidence.

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