SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND SECURE OVER $3.4 MILLION TO IMPROVE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS FOR RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS & ORGANIZATIONS IN-AND-AROUND NYC; GRANTS AWARDED TO 39 AT-RISK JEWISH SCHOOLS AND CONGREGATIONS
Schumer and Gillibrand Secured over 30% Of Total Funding For Organizations Based in New York – Out of the Total $10 Million Granted to Awardees Across the Country
The Awardees Include 39 Jewish Educational Institutions and Congregations; The Money Will Help These At-Risk Nonprofits For Security Preparedness
Schumer, Gillibrand: These Schools and Congregations are Vital Parts of our Community and Like Institutions Have Been Targeted Before; We Must Do All We Can to Protect All At-Risk Institutions
U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced that 39 New York Jewish organizations, including schools and congregations, and more have received a combined total of $3,425,148 for the 2013 fiscal year as Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) Awardees. The program, run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), awards federal funds to nonprofit organizations that are at a high risk of a national terrorist attack to encourage preparedness efforts.
“Would-be evildoers have previously targeted schools and congregations for attacks and that’s why FEMA’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program is critical in making sure that high-risk organizations like Jewish schools and congregations are safe and protected from terrorist attacks,” said Schumer. “It is especially important for organizations in and around New York City to receive this federal funding, which will go a long way to ensure that they are fully prepared for whatever may happen in the future.”
“New York’s religious institutions and non-profit organizations are the backbone of our communities,” Senator Gillibrand said. “No New Yorker, or American, should ever have to live or worship in fear of being targeted because of who they are or what they believe. As we have seen, New York City’s places of faith, worship and community gatherings continue to be targeted by hatred. These homeland security dollars will help arm our non-profits with the resources they need to guard us from attacks and keep us safe.”
The Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) is run under the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI). For the 2013 fiscal year, the UASI NSGP was budgeted $10 million. Only eligible nonprofit organizations, as described by the 501(c)(3) tax code of 1986, may apply for this grant. To be eligible, the nonprofit must be at high risk for an international terrorist attack and must be located in one of the designated urban areas throughout the country.
The 39 Jewish organizations that received funding from the New York City area are the Bay Terrace Jewish Center, Bnos Square of Williamsburg, Bnos Zion of Bobov, Boro Park Hatzolah, Chabad Israel Center of the Upper East Side, Chabad Lubavitch of Brooklyn Heights, Chabad of Great Neck, East Meadow Jewish Center, Greater Five Towns YM & YWHA-DBA-JCC, Hatzolah of Williamsburg, Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway, Jewish Community Council of Greater Coney Island, Jewish Foundation School of Staten Island, Jewish Institute of Queens, Lincoln Square Synagogue, Magen David Yeshivah, Manetto Hill Jewish Center, Mayon Chai, North Shore Hebrew Academy, Old Westbury Hebrew Congregation, Park East Synagogue, Rabbi Arthur Schneier Park East Day School, Ramaz School, Shulamith School for Girls of Brooklyn, Sid Jacobson Jewish Community Center, Talmud Torah D’Nitra, Temple Israel of Great Neck, Temple Israel of Northern Westchester, The Bialystoker Synagogue, The Center for Jewish Life, United Talmudical Academy, Yeshiva Beth Hillel of Williamsburg, Yeshiva of Brooklyn, Yeshiva Tifereth Moshe, Yeshiva of Flatbush, Young Israel of Flatbush, Young Israel of Midwood, Young Israel of Woodmere and Young Mens and Young Womens Hebrew Association of Bronx.