From NYPD Shield:

News agencies are reporting there was an explosion outside a synagogue in Santa Monica, California. There are no immediate reports of injuries and local police have not confirmed the cause of the explosion or if the temple was deliberately targeted. We will continue to monitor this event and will advise of any new information that has been confirmed by local authorities.

 Read more in the Los Angeles Times.

The Chabad of Santa Monica website reports:

In response to news reports of a pipe bomb in our facility. During morning services today the police department came to Chabad House in response to a report of an explosion. The men that were praying did not hear or feel anything. Rabbi Levitansky grabbed on of the new Torah scrolls so they can finish services. Which they did at the corner of 17th and S. Monica.

Status Update. (from Rob Goldberg, JFNA Washington Office)As you may be aware, Congress has not completed the fiscal year 2011 Appropriations bills for the fiscal year that began on October 1, 2010 and expires on September 30, 2011. This week, the House will determine its overall spending levels for the remainder of FY2011. Using the figure established, the House Appropriations Committee will then determine funding levels for each appropriations bill (there are 12, including DHS).

As the subcommittees receive their spending levels, they will apportion their spending priorities – what gets funded at what level? The results of these efforts will become the substance of the next long-term Continuing Resolution (CR), covering 7 months and terminating at the end of the FY11 fiscal year. The House will then take up the CR on the Floor. It appears that consideration of the CR will include an open rule, where specific provisions of the resolution can be amended. This could get pretty complicated as members try to protect funding for projects (including those that previously might have been funded through earmarks).

Once the House completes the CR it will go to the Senate for consideration. The Senate may be apt to oppose the House on a number of funding reductions. It remains to be seen how the Senate leadership will handle Floor proceedings. There is a gentlemen’s agreement in effect that promotes an open rule where amendments are permitted. Whatever differences that come out of the separate House and Senate deliberations will need to be reconciled before completion/passage of the CR.

The current CR expires on March 4th. Time is ticking by, creating pressure for Congress to complete the process of the next CR. The more open the CR is to the amendment process, the longer deliberations will take. With respect to Nonprofit Security grants, and other funding priorities of the Federations, the program’s allocations will be determined as part of the overall CR process. The House has telegraphed that its version of the CR will contain some $36 billion in cuts. The Jewish Federations has been pressing appropriators to maintain our funding priorities at the highest possible levels, including for NSGP. Once the CR is enacted, we expect that the Department of Homeland Security will commence the grant process within 25 days.

If all goes well, that means that the  New York grant application will be ready sometime around Pesach.

Get started now. We don’t know when the grant will be due and there’s a possibility that the application period will be shorter than last year. Although DHS hasn’t circulated its grant guidance, we assume that it will require most of the same elements as in years past and you can begin the information-gathering process now, including:

1. Get a vulnerability assessment
2. Get a DUNS Number (If you did this for previous grants you don’t need a new one)
3. Check out the JCRC-NY grant assistance website (https://jcrcny2022.wpengine.com/securitygrants) and look at the requirements from last year’s Investment Justification. Put together the information ahead  of time.

Get more information to secure your Jewish institution at www.jcrcny.org/security.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano announced grants of $19 million in the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) to non-profit organizations that are at high risk of a terrorist attack.

New York organizations fared particularly well, with 83 winners (71 in NYC) qualifying for $4,995,121 in federal funding to support target-hardening activities. New York applicants gleaned 30% of the grants (273). The number of New York winners grew by nearly 15% (compared to 2009) and the NY total grant amount increased by $380,000.

All applicants, whether successful or not, will be officially notified of their status by the the New York Office of Homeland Security (NY OHS).

We owe a special debt of gratitude to those dedicated public servants who actually administer the grants and answer our questions, especially Shelley Wahrlich, Steve Tierney and Valerie Bloomer. This program could not be successful without their dedication, patience and expertise. Thanks to Governor David Paterson, Acting NY Director of the Office of Homeland Security James Sherry and the entire NY Office of Homeland Security staff for their continuing, tremendous support for the Nonprofit Homeland Security Grant Program.

See the NYPD Shield report on the arrest of Faisal Shahzad here.

Read the NYPD summary here. While there is no information indicating any connection to the Jewish community, the NYPD conclusions are relevant and Jewish organizations should factor these considerations into their security planning:

• Vehicles loaded with incendiary materials are easy to procure and could potentially cause significant damage.
• But as was the case in London and Times Square, timed ignition of incendiary devices is difficult at best.
• Ordinary automotive vehicles draw little attention, however, vehicles operated in out of the ordinary ways, such as left running unattended or parked in a hurried manner, call for attention.
• If You See Something, Say Something! Report suspicious activity to: 1-888-NYC-SAFE (1-888-692-7233)