(JTA) The spending bill approved by Congress more than doubles spending for security grants that have been overwhelmingly tapped by Jewish institutions. The bill includes $60 million for the security grants, up from $25 million last year. More than 90% of the grants have been used to harden security at Jewish institutions since the nonprofit security grant program was launched in 2005. A spike in threats on Jewish institutions over the last year drove the increase. According to the Anti-Defamation League, anti-Semitic incidents in the U.S. in 2017 increased by 43% over 2016. The bill also includes $5 million for the Holocaust Survivor Assistance Program, double the amount of previous years. The program partners with Jewish institutions to deliver assistance to elderly Holocaust survivors.
2018-03-26 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive