PROVIDENCE – Seven faith-related nonprofit organizations in Rhode Island have been given $546,710 in federal grants to upgrade their physical security to defend against violent attacks, the R.I. congressional delegation said Wednesday.
Funding for the seven nonprofits, all of which are associated with the Jewish faith and determined to be high risk, comes from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program.
“Rhode Island was founded as a haven for religious freedom, and we take that principle seriously to this day,” said Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I. in a statement. “The delegation secured this federal funding to provide religious organizations additional layers of security to help every Rhode Islander feel safe in their place of worship.”
The delegation said that the Anti-Defamation League has found that anti-Semitic incidents in the U.S. remain at historic levels. Since 2020, the ADL has tracked 68 extremist incidents in Rhode Island, including white nationalist and anti-Semitic acts of hate.
“At a time of rising anti-Semitism and enhanced vulnerability caused by the constant threat of violence by domestic extremists, these grants provide Rhode Island nonprofits and faith communities an opportunity to invest in security. In recent months, we have witnessed that the threat is real and active, making the need to prioritize security urgent,” said Robert Trestan, regional director of ADL New England, in a statement.
The organizations receiving funding in Rhode Island include:
- Providence Hebrew Day School: $100,000
- Temple Emanu-el: $100,000
- Phyllis Siperstein Tamarisk Assisted Living Facility: $95,336
- Jewish Alliance of Rhode Island: $78,889
- Brown RISD Hillel: $68,000
- Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island: $55,650
- Congregation Beth David of Narragansett: $48,835
