Sixteen Jewish Community Centers throughout the U.S. received telephonic bomb threats on Monday, all of which turned out to be false. In each case, the facilities were immediately evacuated and swept by local law enforcement until the threats were deemed false. The FBI is currently investigating these cases, none of which occurred in Chicago or Illinois.

These incidents highlight the importance of the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which allows nonprofit institutions to make security enhancements and provide preparedness training. The Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago remains a strong advocate for this program, which has provided local Jewish community and other local nonprofits with nearly $12 million in funding since 2005.

“This program has been instrumental in securing physical security enhancements and providing preparedness training at Jewish communal institutions throughout the Chicago area,” said David Golder, chair of JUF’s Government Affairs Committee. “Unfortunately, the threats to our community have increased in recent years. It is our hope that the 115th Congress and members of our Illinois delegation will work to increase resources for this important program in the Fiscal Year 2017 and Fiscal Year 2018 budget.”