
By JESSICA ANDERSON
It’s been almost three years since I joined you as your Community Security Director. I love meaningful work, and this certainly fits the bill. There have been some changes to the program since I started – most significantly, I now officially cover the entire state of Oregon and the SW counties of Washington. I was always available to those communities as a resource, but this change codifies it and allows me to expand the program in a meaningful and supported way. Another huge add is the Federation’s Security Grant program, which we started this year and is available to all organizations across the state that contribute to the JFGP security program. This Security Grant program is a commitment of $250,000 yearly in grants to organizations for safety and security expenses. The Federation is incredibly pleased and grateful for the community support that made this grant process possible.
As I move into my fourth year, I’m also continually striving to figure out how to improve on what we’re all already doing. How can I use my skills and resources most effectively? How can I facilitate organizations to work together to make us stronger? I love contemplating those questions.
What I continue to hear, particularly now, is that the rise in antisemitic news and activity is unnerving and stressful for many of you. Each of us reacts to negative news differently, and part of my role is meeting individuals and communities wherever they are on that spectrum. I’m happy to share that the Federation and the communities are working in a myriad of ways to help counter the activity we hear about. Marc often shares Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) updates in his Friday Marc’s Remarks. I work with the ADL and the Oregon DOJ Bias Hotline to make sure incidents are reported and resources are made available. On the ground, there are also community groups who actively combat antisemitic graffiti by getting out and buffing out or painting over the vandalism. While these efforts are unlikely to put an end to antisemitic activity, many people feel better taking part and being a part of an effort that is doing something.
A new presidential administration is always a time of change, and I’ll be monitoring these changes closely and thinking about how they might affect our community. I’ve started a quarterly Community Security Working Group made up of representatives from our organizations. The goal is to bring people together a few times a year to hear about what we’re all doing to stay safe – it’s a sharing of best practices and brainstorming new ideas. In January 2025 I’ll start again with my online safety and security classes, which will be found on the JFGP Security page. Most of us recognize we live in a world where bad and unexpected events can happen out of the blue. My primary goal in offering training is for you to feel more empowered and confident about managing whatever life sends your way. Training instills confidence in ourselves that we are prepared and capable of handling the unexpected.
As always, keep up the reporting! Reporting graffiti, posters, incidents, etc. even if they seem small – is incredibly important. We know antisemitic activity is grossly under-reported. Sharing the information keeps me knowledgeable about what our community is experiencing and lets me share potential concerns with organizations. I also share the information with partners who track incidents nationally, which helps establish the basis for national programs working to combat antisemitism. Reporting can be made to me directly at janderson@securecommunitynework.org, 872-273-9214, or at https://www.jewishportland.org/security.
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