Trending
As Americans of all religious backgrounds, we should be grateful for the work being done by the LiveSecure initiative.
But we also should be deeply disappointed that LiveSecure's work is necessary.
LiveSecure, as reported by the Associated Press in last weekend's religion section of the Williamsport Sun-Gazette, is helping Jewish community centers and synagogues assess and improve the security equipment and practices at their facilities.
The LiveSecure initiative originally planned to conduct its fundraising campaign and then begin to award grants for upgrades, staffing and training. After a stand-off at the synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, organizers revised their plans to begin awarding grants to Jewish community centers and synagogues sooner.
This initiative by private, independent parties has partners in federal and state governments, which also are making grant funding for security upgrades available.
Congregation Beth Israel in Portland, Oregon, received one such grant from the federal government and now is reviewing bids by vendors to install more cameras and lighting.
"It's been hugely helpful to make significant capital improvements knowing that some of them are funded, that we can proactively improve security," Josh Kashinsky, executive director of Congregation Beth Israel, told the Associated Press.
We can appreciate the hard work and serious-mindedness of leaders like Kashinsky, the organizers of LiveSecure and of advocates for funding within the federal and state governments while also noting it should never have to come to this.
But, in 2020, the Anti-Defamation League tallied more than 2,000 instances of anti-Semitic harassment, assault or vandalism -- the third highest since they began compiling data in 1979.
The freedom to practice religion -- and the diversity of religious practices it brings -- is the quintessential American value. An increase in efforts to use fear and intimidation to deprive Americans who practice a different religion of that right is by its very nature un-American.
That LiveSecure and government revenue streams have the means to help any faith tradition confront and rise above those challenges to keep their people safe does not change the fact that the necessity of keeping them safe is lamentable and a sign that as a nation we have much work to do to replenish our foundation of pluralism and civil liberties.