Temple Kol Ami in Scottsdale spends more than $200,000 a year on security, most of it on armed guards, Rabbi Jeremy Schneider told Jewish News this fall. The temple has also doubled its cameras and added protective film to its windows.
It is part of a national bill. A Jewish Federations of North America study found American Jewish organizations spent a record $1.015 billion on security in 2025, up from $765 million the year before.
Arizona's own help is small by comparison. The state Nonprofit Security Grant Program, run by the Arizona Department of Homeland Security, has $1 million in total for fiscal 2027, capped at $100,000 per applicant. That money is open to every eligible nonprofit in the state, not only synagogues. Applications closed June 12, and awards were expected in September. A separate $5 million fund was set aside in the 2023 state budget.
Put plainly: one temple's annual guard bill is a fifth of the entire state program.
What we are checking
Kol Phoenix will request the fiscal 2027 award list and the list of recipients from the 2023 fund, and will compare them with federal FEMA awards to Arizona congregations.
How we reported this: based on the JFNA study as reported by Jewish News of Greater Phoenix, and AZDOHS program guidance for fiscal 2027. Award lists have not yet been released. Congregations willing to share their security costs can reach us at [email protected].