Capital Jewish Museum receives DC grant amid security concerns for LGBTQ exhibit

The D C cabinet communicated a half million dollars in grants for local nonprofits to help offset their costs for defense One recipient the Lillan and Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum is having serious concerns about precaution not just because they are a Jewish organization but also due to a new exhibit focused on the LGBTQ area The Capital Jewish Museum has only been open for about two years but the cornerstone of the museum is the oldest purpose-built synagogue in the District We are sitting in the historic sanctuary right now which is part of our historic synagogue disclosed Executive Director Beatrice Gurwitz It is a two-story synagogue that was dedicated in Gurwitz recounted News like a multitude of Jewish institutions they are faced with serious defense concerns Jewish institutions all around town all around the country are concerned about assurance due tosome very scary incidents that a few institutions have faced and because of a context of antisemitism Gurwitz mentioned So we invest a lot of money in protection to make sure that we can keep our doors open to the broad general that this is a welcoming space but that people are also safe in this space The museum has just opened a new temporary exhibit LGBT Jews in the Federal City to coincide with world pride coming to the District The exhibit has ramped up the museum s concerns about safety We recognize that there are threats associated with this as well Gurwitz explained And again we want to ensure that our space is as welcoming and secure for everybody who comes here while we are exploring these stories The museum is one of nonprofits in the District to receive a grant from the D C regime to help with safeguard costs We got a little over in the grant which makes a big difference That helps us defray the costs of defense officers at the front desk and roaming around the museum to make sure that everybody is safe and that we are prepared in the event of an exigency Gurwitz reported And it also helps our staff prepare so that we are ready to not only make sure that our staff is safe but also our visitors And you know we have school groups in here we have tour groups in here and then we have you know just people coming to visit the museum and it s vital that we are ready to protect everybody who visits and all of those different combinations The Capital Jewish Museum is open to the society wednesdays through sundays from a m to p m Applications for the next round of the Safe and Secure DC nonprofit fund grants will open in February