New Federal government grants program for ‘Securing Faith-Based Places’

The Executive Council of Australian Jewry (the ECAJ), the peak representative body of the Australian Jewish community, has welcomed the Federal government’s announcement of a new $40 million ‘Securing Faith-Based Places’ Grants Program to replace the former Safer Communities Fund.

“The ECAJ has been making representations to the government since last year about the community’s need for assistance with funding for our ever-growing security costs”, said ECAJ co-CEO Peter Wertheim.

“Australia has not been immune from the global surge in antisemitic activity in recent years, so the announcement is timely.”

Under the new program all Jewish institutions will be eligible for funding not only for security infrastructure but also for the recurrent costs of security guards.  “Funding for recurrent costs was previously only available for Jewish schools, but now synagogues, museums and other Jewish communal institutions will also be able to apply for this when grant applications open in July”, Mr Wertheim said.

“The full details have not yet been finalised and we are hopeful that the government will accept the representations that we have made, and continue to make, about the need for operational security funding to extend to our centralised security organisations, the National Council for Jewish Community Security and the Community Security Groups. These organisations have a “whole of community” mandate to prioritise and streamline security across all communal organisations and facilities.”

Contact:
Peter Wertheim AM | co-Chief Executive Officer
phone: 02 8353 8500 | m: 0408 160 904 | fax 02 9361 5888
e: pwertheim@ecaj.org.au | www.ecaj.org.au