SCN & JFED Security Partner to Launch New Jersey Regional Threat Center
By Emma Driban, Editor
—
When you walk through the doors of the Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey (JFSNJ), you might notice the bustle of activity—programs for seniors, early childhood education, community events. But behind the scenes, something else just as vital is happening: the Federation has become the hub of a cutting-edge security initiative that will help protect Jewish communities across New Jersey, Delaware, and even parts of New York.
Last month, JFSNJ—in partnership with the Secure Community Network (SCN)—officially launched the Regional Threat Center, a first-of-its-kind hub designed to monitor, assess, and share information about potential threats to Jewish institutions and individuals in real time.
The Center, housed at the JFSNJ campus in Cherry Hill, plugs directly into SCN’s national network—what leaders are calling a “Virtual Shield” for Jewish communities. Analysts stationed here will monitor threats, share intelligence with local and national law enforcement, and keep Jewish organizations across the region better informed and prepared.
“This is about ensuring our communities have timely, actionable information to keep themselves safe,” said Jennifer Dubrow Weiss, CEO of JFSNJ. “The integration of our work as a Regional Threat Center is the latest step in a partnership that’s been years in the making.”
The creation of the Regional Threat Center comes at a time of heightened concern about antisemitic incidents and targeted attacks on Jewish institutions nationwide. Synagogues, schools, and community centers across the country have faced threats ranging from graffiti and harassment to active shooter situations.
“In the current environment, enhanced coordination and real-time communication to identify and address threats are not a luxury—they are a necessity,” said Michael Masters, SCN’s National Director and CEO. “From New Jersey to New Mexico, bad actors do not respect borders, so our information sharing cannot stop at a given border or exist in a silo.”
By centralizing information at a regional level, Jewish communities across Delaware, New Jersey, and beyond will benefit from a unified approach.
The Regional Threat Center is designed to serve the entire corridor of Jewish Federations in New Jersey and Delaware. That includes nine Federations from Bergen County down to Cape May, as well as the Jewish Federation of Delaware. Each will now be connected to one another and to the national SCN system.
For local leaders, this is more than a technical upgrade. It’s about building trust and resilience. “This is what makes our Federation system strong,” Weiss said. “Working as partners, together, to secure and strengthen Jewish life.”
The model is based on what security experts call “Fusion Centers”—collaborative hubs developed after 9/11 by the FBI, Department of Justice, and Department of Homeland Security to break down silos and share information quickly across jurisdictions.
At the Cherry Hill hub, trained analysts will monitor SCN’s Project RAIN™ system—an AI-enabled platform that tracks, assesses, and categorizes threats nationwide. They’ll work hand-in-hand with SCN’s Jewish Security Operations Command Center (JSOCC™) in Chicago, which already runs 24/7 threat monitoring for Jewish organizations across North America.
The Regional Threat Center will also act as a two-way street: it will send local intelligence up the chain to the national level while also sharing national trends and alerts with local organizations.
“This means if something happens in Ohio or Florida, we’ll know about it right away and can assess whether it poses a risk here,” said Weiss. “Likewise, if there’s a concern in our region, that information doesn’t stay in a silo—it gets shared and analyzed nationally.”
While the tools are sophisticated, the heart of the project is people. SCN and JFSNJ have invested in recruiting, training, and equipping analysts who can assess data, coordinate with law enforcement, and guide local institutions on what actions to take.
The effort also emphasizes community training. Federations across the network will benefit from best-practice guides, emergency preparedness drills, and access to SCN’s National Centers of Excellence, which provide curricula for everything from securing buildings to teaching community members how to respond in a crisis. This comes in addition to the community training we have already seen being implemented here in Delaware by JFED Security.
For many local families, the hope is simple: that children can attend preschool, teens can gather for youth groups, and seniors can come to cultural events without worry. While the threats are real, so too is the commitment to meeting them with resilience.
“We are grateful to have the ongoing support of JFED Security and our partnership with our New Jersey Federations. This strategic security alliance ensures We Grow Stronger TOGETHER As One,” said Seth J. Katzen, President & CEO of the Jewish Federation of Delaware. “This is also a great example of what our Community Security Campaign is raising funds to support. Please generously support this effort as we continue building the resources necessary to combat increasing hate crimes and Antisemitism.”
In that sense, the new Regional Threat Center is more than just a security upgrade. It’s a promise—a promise that Delaware and the Brandywine Valley will not face these challenges alone, but as part of a coordinated, watchful, and caring community.
