Just before Canadian Jews gather to observe the new year on the night of Oct. 2, the federal government has announced some long-requested changes to a program that has helped nearly 500 Jewish institutions—including synagogues, schools and community centres—pay for panic buttons, security cameras, fencing and other vital safety equipment to date. Jewish leaders have long complained that Public Safety Canada’s Security Infrastructure Program (SIP) suffered from too much red tape and never covered enough of the financial burden for keeping Jews safe to worship, study and play—especially amidst rising antisemitism.
The new program—now called the Canada Community Security Program—could offer more money to grantees, although exactly how much remains unclear. Ottawa put the number at $65 million, except that amount was already earmarked in the 2024 budget. Regardless of the total pot, however, the changes are tangible for community applicants: the federal government will now pay up to 70 percent of the costs to install security equipment, up from 50 per cent. And the same goes for hiring temporary security guards from Sept. 24 until Nov. 15, after the High Holidays have ended. Daycare centres, cemeteries and Jewish offices are now also eligible to apply—they hadn’t been previously. Ottawa will also raise the cap to fund big renovation projects from $100,000 to $1.5 million.
Some Jewish leaders are already calling the announcement a “game-changer”. On today’s episode of The CJN Daily, we find out why. We speak with Jason Murray, head of the security advisory committee for Vancouver’s Jewish Federation; Gary Gladstone, a consultant to many Jewish groups applying for these grants; and Liberal MP Anthony Housefather, Canada’s special advisor to the prime minister on antisemitism, who has been advocating for these changes.
What we talked about
- Read about when Montreal’s Jewish Community Council asked Ottawa to fix the SIP program, after school shootings post-Oct. 7, in The CJN.
- Read the federal government’s announcement from Sept. 24 outlining changes to the Security Infrastructure Program, now called the Canada Community Security Program.
- After Vancouver’s Schara Tzedeck synagogue was lit aflame, the congregation left the burned front doors unfixed for a long time. Here’s why, on The CJN Daily.
Credits
- Host and writer: Ellin Bessner (@ebessner)
- Production team: Zachary Kauffman (producer), Michael Fraiman (executive producer)
- Music: Dov Beck-Levine
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