Join us in creating a more secure and prepared Jewish Community
Community security continues to be a high priority. It is an area in which we have long taken a proactive approach and in which we have invested significantly over many years. In an effort to expand our scope and increase training opportunities for community organizations, Jewish Federation has entered into a new partnership with the Secure Community Network (SCN), made possible through the generous support of the Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation.
SCN is the security and safety initiative of the organized Jewish community in the US. SCN is wholly dedicated to safeguarding 146 Jewish Federations and 50 partner organizations, and collaborating with partners across the public, private, not-for-profit, and academic sectors. We will be the first Canadian Federation to establish a formal relationship with SCN.
Daniel Heydenrich, our current director of security will retain his role and will now have access to additional resources. This partnership will elevate our security role and allows us to increase our support and enhance training opportunities for the Lower Mainland community, as well as expand our support to Jewish communities throughout BC.
Community Security is Everyone’s Responsibility.
The sharp rise in hate crimes and antisemitic attacks and rhetoric throughout the world has made it clear that we need to maintain a high level of awareness and preparedness about our overall community safety. The increase in antisemitism has led us to reassess our needs and financial investment in security across our Jewish community. Our new partnership with SCN will enable us to provide new training opportunities and support to our community agencies. We are focused on a proactive approach that takes into account each organization’s diverse interests and mandates. Community security is everyone’s responsibility. We need you to help us make sure that our Jewish community is secure and safe.
Strategically Planning for Long Term Needs
Community Security Advisory Committee
In 2015 we established our Committee Security Advisory Committee, chaired by Bernard Pinksy. Their work is focused on assessing the risks facing community institutions, and proposing strategies for a comprehensive approach to security and safety that will serve our community for the long term, including:
- Creating a culture of security throughout our community.
- Implementing best practices and protocols for security.
- Acting as a central point of contact for community-wide security-related issues.
- Providing training and advice to our community agencies.
- Developing a community-wide emergency preparedness plan.
Cybersecurity and Information Protection Subcommittee
In 2020, with many organization transitioning to remote or hybrid operations, we formed our Cybersecurity and Information Protection Subcommittee. The mandate of the Cybersecurity and Information Protection Subcommittee is to:
- recommend and communicate to Jewish community agencies information about specific cyber threats and guidance that is published by recognized authoritative sources regarding cybersecurity (e.g., best practices, assessment tools, educational/training materials, and policies/procedures);
- to provide training sessions;
- and to help Jewish community agencies work together to procure and implement cybersecurity services from commercial providers, where available. A key aspect of the subcommittee’s work is to help our partner agencies understand their level of exposure to cybercrime, and to make recommendations on how to reduce the risk.
Generating the Funds for Security
Federation Annual Campaign
Enhanced security measures require funding. When a community organization or event has security needs, they usually rely on Jewish Federation to provide at least some of the funding, if not all of it. This is in addition to the funds we generate to support needs like social services, Jewish education, seniors’ programs, and more. We identified community security as a key area of work in our 2020 Strategic Priorities and made it a focus of the 2016 Federation Annual Campaign. It is through the campaign that we generate the funds needed to support community security initiatives.
Federal Government Security Infrastructure Program
The federal government also provides funding to private, not-for-profit organizations that are at risk of being victimized by hate- motivated crime, helping with the cost of security infrastructure improvements. With Daniel’s support, many of our community organizations have been successful in their applications for funding. We continue to encourage organizations to apply for SIP funds to enable them to maximize their security upgrades.
Director of Security
In 2017, we welcomed our Director of Security for our community, Daniel Heydenrych-Davis, whose role is to work with local Jewish organizations, law enforcement agencies, and other strategic partners to focus on three key priority areas:
- Ensuring the ongoing safety of our community and its institutions;
- Facilitating the delivery of training and educational workshops to ensure community organizations and their leadership stay abreast of best practices and trends related to security;
- Cultivating a volunteer network to help enhance the security preparedness of local institutions, especially around major community events
Daniel’s role is to support the Jewish community as a whole. Daniel is happy to work with any organization interested in training, audits, or in need of security advice or assistance. In an emergency situation, community agencies should first call 911 and then reach out to Daniel so that he can liaise with local law enforcement and provide guidance to the organization’s security leaders.
Please reach out to Daniel for training opportunities or any non-emergent security needs:
Email: Daniel Heydenrych-Davis
Call or Text: 604-362-5706
Daniel Heydenrych-Davis, Director of Security