JEWISHcolorado announced that it is the recipient of a nearly $70,000 early childhood security grant from The Tepper Foundation through Jewish Federations of North America, helping to protect the community’s most vulnerable population during a time when antisemitism is spreading across the nation. The funds are given with the intention of hiring security personnel to protect pre-schools, as well as supporting other faith communities’ security needs.
Pre-schools receiving grants include Aish of the Rockies, Alef Academy, BMH-BJ Preschool, B’nai Vail Preschool, Bright Lights Early Learning Center, Foster Early Learning Center, Gan Chaya Esther Preschool, Garden Preschool & ELC, Har Shalom Preschool Fort Collins, Hebrew Educational Alliance Preschool, Hillel Academy Preschool, Little Feet of Denver Jewish Daycare, Philips ECC, Preschool of the Arts, and Rodef Shalom ECE.
“Nothing is more important than protecting our children and giving them a safe environment where they can learn and grow,” said JEWISHcolorado President & CEO Renée Rockford. “We are grateful to the Tepper Foundation for its continued support in safeguarding pre-schools in our community.” JEWISHcolorado is awarding nearly 20 pre-schools security grants, with the hope of raising additional dollars from the local community that will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the Tepper Foundation
The Tepper Foundation has been a major partner with Jewish Federations of North America in response to the growing number of antisemitic incidents in the United States since the October 7th Hamas terror attacks on Israel. The organization launched the Security Fund in November 2023 and has now made grants of more than $12 million across the nation to support the security needs of the American Jewish community.
Building on the success of Jewish Federations’ LiveSecure initiative – the largest philanthropic effort to support Jewish security in North American history – Jewish Federations have become The Tepper Foundation’s partner in continuing to ensure the safety of Jewish communities nationwide.
LiveSecure participating Federations, all of which have established comprehensive security plans under the auspices of Jewish Federations of North America, have committed to building and strengthening relationships with other religious leaders and faith-based institutions in their communities by sharing their security expertise. This is a new aspect of The Tepper Foundation’s commitment to security, aimed at improving interfaith relations as well as enhancing safety for all populations confronting hatred.