The Jewish Federations of North America General Assembly brought together 2,500 people at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in the heart of Washington, D.C. This event, one of the largest gatherings of Jewish people in America, took place amid rising antisemitism and violent Palestinian protests that have plagued the country since the onset of the Gaza and Lebanon conflicts.
SECURITY CONCERNS
(ILTV)
Shira Hutt, Executive Vice President of JFNA, told ILTV News that security is a top priority for the federation, with protocols in place from day one.
“It’s something that we always take very seriously," Hutt told ILTV News. "It is something that all of our 146 federations take very seriously, and we work with them to ensure that whenever they gather... everyone can be safe at those events, with no limitations on the community's ability to gather, flourish, and celebrate being Jewish.”
Hutt shared that JFNA coordinated with security vendors, hotel staff, and local police. Additional security layers included Israeli and American secret service agents to protect President Isaac Herzog and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, both of whom spoke at the event.
Attendees had to pass through metal detectors to enter the hotel, where dozens of police officers and hired security guards were stationed on every floor, along with security dogs. These measures were integrated into the conference in a way that kept people safe without disrupting the experience.
Since 2018, following the tragic antisemitic attack at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue, the Jewish community has seen a $750 million investment in physical security through the LiveSecure initiative and the Nonprofit Security Grant Program.
"I think everyone that came into the conference felt good about the steps we took to ensure their safety," Hutt added.
William Daroff, CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, also put the situation into perspective. He said, "In other times, there was government working against us, law enforcement working against us in the times of the shtetls and the tsars."
He noted that "now, government is here being helpful—helping to protect us and safeguard us—and that is something different in the current fight we are in compared to previous fights."