Weinberg Foundation Announces $1.2 Million in Emergency Grants in Response to Pittsburgh Synagogue Mass Shooting

BALTIMORE, Nov. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation today announced $1.2 million in emergency grant funding as an immediate response to the shootings that claimed 11 lives and wounded six individuals this past Saturday at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh's Squirrel Hill community. May the memory of those who lost their lives always be a blessing.

"The Weinberg Foundation mourns those who perished and shares the pain of their loved ones," said Robert T. Kelly, Jr., Weinberg Foundation Board Chair and Trustee. "While we grieve for the victims of this horrific hate crime, the Foundation is compelled to do what it can, as quickly as possible, to support those organizations meeting the urgent needs of the community."

After consulting with more than a dozen leaders in Pittsburgh and across the country regarding the immediate needs the Pittsburgh Jewish community is facing, the Weinberg Foundation has approved emergency grants to the following six organizations:

Local Pittsburgh Nonprofit Funding

• $300,000 to the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh to support the Victims of Terror Fund (set up by the Federation), the Jewish Family and Community Services (JFCS) Pittsburgh, and the Jewish Community Center (JCC) in Pittsburgh to provide behavioral health services, short-term security for several institutions, medical bills for the injured, and general support for staff working tirelessly to serve the community in this time of need.
• $100,000 to Jewish Association on Aging (Pittsburgh) to provide therapy and counseling for older adults impacted by the shooting and increased security needs for this organization.
• $100,000 to the Pittsburgh Police Fund, administrated by the City of Pittsburgh Department of Public Safety, to support individuals impacted by the shooting, including the six police officers injured, and their families.
• $100,000 to Tree of Life*Or L'Simcha Synagogue for any capital and security needs the synagogue may have at this time.

National Nonprofit Funding

• $300,000 to the Anti-Defamation League, including $200,000 in capital funding for improvements and expansion of ADL's technology, which tracks and responds to acts of anti-Semitism via the organization's Incident Response Center, and $100,000 in operating support directed towards the organization's emergency operations in Pittsburgh.
• $300,000 to Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS), including $200,000 for housing assistance, job placement support, and case management services for newly resettled refugees in the United States, and $100,000 to provide increased short-term security for HIAS, which was targeted as part of the attack.

"The Weinberg Foundation stands in solidarity with Pittsburgh's Jewish community," said Rachel Garbow Monroe, Weinberg Foundation President and Chief Executive Officer. "In this difficult moment, the Weinberg Foundation acknowledges that funding alone will not give solace to the families who have lost loved ones, nor will it end the pain of a community in mourning. We hope this emergency funding will ease some of the burden the community faces as it begins to repair and rebuild and will ultimately help the community drive positive change. We know Pittsburgh will lead the way in overcoming hatred and darkness by strengthening a community that is built on respect, diversity, and love for all of its neighbors."

Tragically, this is not the first time that the Weinberg Foundation has responded to Jewish communities targeted by violence. In 2014, the Foundation provided funding to the JCC in Kansas City and the Village Shalom retirement community following the violence that took place on the JCC's campus just before Passover. In 2006, the Foundation provided capital funds for the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle to assist in the rebuilding and renovation of their offices due to a hate crime shooting.

About The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation
The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, one of the largest private charitable foundations in the United States, is dedicated to meeting the basic needs of vulnerable people and families experiencing poverty. In 2019, the Foundation will provide approximately $125 million in grants to nonprofits that provide direct services in the areas of Housing, Health, Jobs, Education, and Community Services. Grants focus on supporting organizations that serve specific populations, including older adults, women and children at risk, people with disabilities, and veterans, as well as the Jewish community. The Foundation's priority communities include Baltimore, Chicago, Hawaii, Israel, New York City, Northeastern Pennsylvania, San Francisco, and Rural Communities (primarily surrounding other priority communities) throughout the United States. The Foundation's trustees include Robert T. Kelly, Jr., Board Chair; Ambassador Fay Hartog-Levin (Ret.); Paula B. Pretlow; and (effective December 1, 2018) Gordon Berlin. Rachel Garbow Monroe continues to serve as President and CEO. For more information, please visit www.hjweinbergfoundation.org.

SOURCE Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation

Related Links

http://www.hjweinbergfoundation.org