Safety and vigilance are a top priority for the congregants at Temple Ohav Shalom in McCandless, which recently received $25,000 to bolster security.

The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency awarded the grant, applied for by Temple Ohav Shalom and supported by the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, which has a dedicated specialist who advises on security grant funding, according to Audrey Kitzes, a board member with the temple.

“These funds will enable TOS to upgrade our security infrastructure and enhance our (closed-circuit television) system, improving our ability to detect, assess and respond to potential threats in real time,” Kitzes said.

The temple includes an on-site preschool and religious school for children in grades K-10.

“This funding is especially important given that we have observed suspicious activity on our property in the past and have been on alert given vandalism in recent years in Butler County,” Kitzes said.

The temple has reported vandalism, including swastikas painted on buildings.

Expanded camera coverage and higher-quality imagery will allow for faster identification of suspicious behavior from multiple vantage points, both inside and outside the building, Kitzes said.

State Rep. Arvind Venkat has been a strong supporter of TOS and its efforts to secure the additional funding, Kitzes said.

Senior Rabbi Aaron Bisno, who has been at the temple since 2024, said it is important news for the Jewish community, which begins observing Passover on April 1.

“A brazen attack on a sacred place of learning, celebration and prayer reminds us of our shared vulnerability. Temple Ohav Shalom is not simply a building. TOS is our Jewish center, the place where our children learn, where we celebrate life’s milestones and gather to affirm who we are as a people,” Bisno said.

Temple Ohav Shalom has 141 member families.

“When such a space is threatened, it resonates deeply. And so we are in regular contact with law enforcement and we are recipients of grant monies to help us defray the costs of protecting our families, guests and staff,” Bisno said.

Recent events, including the Michigan attack, have underscored the seriousness of these concerns, said Kitzes, who is vice president of membership.

She was referring to a March 12 attack at Temple Israel in Michigan when a truck rammed into the synagogue, according to an Associated Press article.

“While our congregation is understandably concerned, we are equally committed to showing up for one another and focusing on how we can continue to make our community safer and stronger. This funding is an important step toward that goal,” she said.

This grant was announced around the same time a Beaver County man was accused of leaving an expletive-laden voicemail March 14 threatening Muslims at the Islamic Center of Western Pennsylvania in Marshall, according to a TribLive report.

Ted Steven Frank, 54, of Center Township was sent to Allegheny County Jail on March 17 after District Judge Matthew J. Brungo denied bail. Frank is charged with felony counts of ethnic intimidation and terroristic threats.

The temple also applied for a federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program grant last fall, which would help fund additional security personnel for their Shabbat services, Kitzes said.

These funds have not yet been awarded and appear to be delayed at the federal level, she said.

Kitzes said she finds the delay particularly disappointing given the rise in antisemitic incidents nationwide and because the funding is meant to specifically support safety and security improvements for any religious institution.

This is the eighth cohort of the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which has authorized $35 million in funding for more than 700 applicants and 530 unique organizations since its inception. Based on reported data on the number of people who visit these facilities, it is estimated that as many as 7 million people across the Commonwealth have been impacted by the funding to date, according to a March 16 news release from Venkat’s office on the grant announcement.

While safety is a priority, the members of Temple Ohav Shalom stand strong.

“And so we remain vigilant, noting that Jewish tradition encourages us to answer fear with engagement rather than withdrawal. This has always been our response, and it remains ours today. In an uncertain world, we will be careful, but uncowed,” Bisno said.

Copyright ©2026— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)