NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- Democratic Congressional members from New York are lauding the recent passage of increased funding to help improve security at houses of worship.
A statement was issued Thursday by ten Democratic U.S. representatives issued a statement on Thursday and nine of them appeared at a press conference at the Museum of Jewish Heritage.
Additionally, the Representatives will be coordinating efforts to assist those in the community and will host grant workshops throughout New York City in the coming months to help high-risk nonprofit institutions learn about the program and apply for funding.
The politicians said that as part of legislation passed last month, Congress increased funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program to $90 million, a 50 percent increase from previous funding levels.
The grants will help improve security at such places of worship including synagogues, mosques, churches, and community centers.
Following a rise in anti-Semitism and attacks on worshippers, including an incident that occurred on Saturday, where a man rushed into a rabbi's home in Monsey, New York, during a Hanukkah celebration, hacking at people with a machete and injuring five.
"Everyone should be able to worship and pray in peace,'' said the statement issued by Reps. Max Rose, Jerrold Nadler, Yvette Clarke, Eliot Engel, Hakeem Jeffries, Carolyn Maloney, Nita Lowey, Gregory Meeks, Grace Meng and Nydia Velazquez.
FBI hate crime statistics show that incidents in at religious institutions like synagogues, churches, mosques and temples increased 34.8% between 2014 and 2018, the last year for which FBI data is available.
The Anti-Defamation League's 2018Audit of Anti-Semitic Incidents in New York, released earlier this year, showed a 55 percent increase in Anti-Semitic Assaults in 2018, all of which occurred in New York City.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.Like 1010 WINS on Facebook and follow @1010WINS on Twitter to get breaking news, traffic, and weather for New York City.
