NATHAN BURSTEIN, Jerusalem Post
Six weeks after authorities foiled an alleged bomb plot against two Bronx synagogues, the Department of Homeland Security has allocated $1.83 million to boost safety at Jewish institutions in another part of the city.
More than two dozen Jewish organizations in Brooklyn, including yeshivot, synagogues and a children’s museum, will receive funds as part of the program, an effort to offset security costs at non-profit institutions considered particularly high-risk by officials.
“What was noteworthy about the Bronx event was that it was not that unusual,” said Rep. Anthony D. Weiner (D-Brooklyn and Queens), who announced the grants Tuesday at the Bnos Yisroel School for Girls in Flatbush, one of the facilities set to receive the funds. “Despite the fact that we are safe in New York, there remain too many people ready to commit acts of hate.”
As much as $75,000 will be awarded to each of 26 Brooklyn non-profits, with the money designated for security measures including surveillance equipment, bullet-proofing and electronically controlled entries and exits.
The Brooklyn organizations are expected to receive the grants within the next two months, part of a total of $4.1m. being awarded this year to 61 non-profit groups spread across New York City. While Jewish organizations are strongly represented among the grant winners citywide, their numbers are particularly robust in Brooklyn, where just one of the 26 recipient institutions is not connected with the Jewish community.
Brooklyn organizations awarded security grants this year include the Jewish Children’s Museum in Crown Heights and the United Lubavitcher Yeshiva of Midwood. Eight of the borough’s 26 grant winners – including the non-Jewish recipient – opted not to have their names publicly released, citing security concerns.
In the aftermath of May’s thwarted Bronx bombings – in which four local men allegedly conspired to plant explosives at the Riverdale Temple and the Riverdale Jewish Center – the added security funds appeared to offer peace of mind to Brooklyn’s Jewish community leaders.
