A rise in antisemitic hate crimes in Connecticut has prompted federal legislators to secure funding for synagogue security.
About $3.2 million will be shared by 23 non-profit faith organizations in the state. A list of the organizations receiving money can be found here.
Stacey Sobel, ADL Connecticut regional director, said the need for this funding grows every day.
“This funding is critical for Connecticut's churches and synagogues that are at high risk of attack, and can be used for security enhancements and emergency preparedness,” she said.
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said he also wants funding for communities dealing with hate crimes.
Blumenthal said he wants the Department of Justice to spend an additional $15 million on helping communities deal with discrimination-based conflict by hiring mediators and educators.
“At the end of the day, what we need is a whole of government, whole of society effort,” Blumenthal said. “And the voices and faces of people, people who care, people who are affected, but also people who empathize and know that it is wrong.”
There was a 100% increase in antisemitic incidents in Connecticut between 2021 and 2022, according to the Anti-Defamation League. Almost 70 incidents were recorded in the state in 2022.
