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Rep. Rice Announces Nearly $575,000 in Federal Funding for Security Enhancements at Local Jewish Nonprofit Organizations

Written by Long Island News & PR  |  11. August 2016

Garden City, NY - August 8, 2016 - U.S. Representative Kathleen Rice announced today that eight Jewish organizations, synagogues and schools in New York’s fourth congressional district have been awarded a total of nearly $575,000 in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s FY2016 Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP), which provides funding for security enhancements to nonprofit organizations that are at a high risk of terrorist attacks.

Congregation Aish Kodesh in Woodmere, the Hebrew Academy of Long Beach, the Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway, the Merrick Jewish Centre, Young Israel of Lawrence-Cedarhurst, and Young Israel of Oceanside have each been awarded $75,000. Yeshiva of South Shore in Hewlett has been awarded $73,673, and the Hebrew Academy of Nassau County has been awarded $50,000.

“Preventing and preparing for acts of terrorism and other emergency situations is always a collaborative effort, and one of the most effective things we can do at the federal level is help vulnerable or high-risk institutions harden their facilities and enhance their emergency response capabilities,” said Representative Kathleen Rice, a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security. “I’m very pleased we obtained this funding to help these organizations meet their unique security challenges, and I’ll keep working to make sure all of our district’s communities have the resources they need to keep people safe.”

“We are incredibly grateful to Congresswoman Rice for helping us secure this critical grant from DHS,” said Rabbi Moshe Weinberger of Congregation Aish Kodesh. “The reality is that we live in dangerous times and the grant will go a long way towards making our synagogue safer.”

“Our congregation is extraordinarily grateful to receive this grant,” said Rabbi Charles A. Klein of the Merrick Jewish Centre. “At a time when synagogues and other houses of worship have become targets for terrorists, the opportunity this grant affords us to enhance the security of our building will make a big difference for the members of our community who gather here regularly.”

“We’re very grateful to Congresswoman Rice for helping to secure this funding and for supporting our efforts to give our students and faculty the safe and secure learning environment they deserve,” said Richard Hagler, Executive Director of the Hebrew Academy of Long Beach. “At a time when we’ve seen schools and places of worship too often become targets of hatred, violence and terrorism, this federal grant is a critical investment in our community’s security and in the future of all the children we serve.”

“We applaud Congresswoman Rice for all her efforts on behalf of all the nonprofits in the Nassau County area in securing these much needed security funds for our institutions,” said Rabbi Dovid Kramer, Executive Director of Yeshiva of South Shore.

“We deeply appreciate Congresswoman Rice’s help in our having obtained the security grant for the sake of our synagogue,” said Rabbi Moshe Teitelbaum of Young Israel of Lawrence-Cedarhurst. “The protective glass and bollards are a means of gaining added protection along with greater peace of mind for our membership.”

FY 2016 NGSP Recipients in NY-04:

  • Congregation Aish Kodesh (Woodmere, NY): $75,000
  • Hebrew Academy of Long Beach: $75,000
  • Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway: $75,000
  • The Merrick Jewish Centre: $75,000
  • Young Israel of Lawrence-Cedarhurst: $75,000
  • Young Israel of Oceanside: $75,000
  • Yeshiva of South Shore (Hewlett, NY): $73,673
  • Hebrew Academy of Nassau County: $50,000

*For more information about the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, click here.

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