Jewish Institutions In FL Earmarked For $45M In Security Measures

FLORIDA — Florida residents attending Jewish schools and synagogues will see security measures rolled out to protect them against acts of antisemitism following the passage of a bill by the Florida House Tuesday.

House Bill 7C, Security Grants, sponsored by state Rep. Randy Fine, R-Brevard, provides at-risk institutions — such as Jewish day schools, synagogues, community centers and museums — with additional security resources and infrastructure to keep students and others safe. The bill allocates $45 million for Jewish institutions at high risk for violent attacks or hate crimes.

“I applaud the Legislature for their fast work during this special session,” said Gov. Ron DeSantis of the special session that lasted three days. "Ensuring that students are able to attend Jewish Day Schools safely is of utmost importance."

“As a child, I remember watching grainy old videos of Germans marching through the streets, calling for the extermination of Jews," Fine said. "I never imagined my own children would see the same kind of marches in 2023 in Florida. Since Oct. 7, we have learned that, for much of the world, the Holocaust was not a historical event but an ongoing goal. Jewish children and their families deserve to be safe in their schools, synagogues and cultural centers."

There are 21 Jewish day schools in Florida, 13 Jewish Community Centers in the state and 387 synagogues in Florida that will benefit from this legislation.

"The Florida House stands with Florida’s Jews to reaffirm that ‘never again’ means never again," said Fine.

The acts of antisemitism have made security a top priority at Jewish institutions, said Rabbi Pinchas Adler of Chabad of Pinellas County in Palm Harbor. "To that end, we are working on hardening our facility, as well as having additional security," he said.

Adler has set up a security fund members can donate to as a way to pay for additional security. He's also formed a committee dedicated to discussing ways to better secure Chabad of Pinellas County.

Security is of equal concern to Mike Igel, chairman of the Florida Holocaust Museum in St. Petersburg.

He said the demonstrations and posting of banners in Orlando and the recent distribution of antisemitic flyers in South Florida "reminds us that we cannot afford to normalize antisemitism, no matter how many times we see Nazis at Disney or antisemitic trash thrown on lawns — again.

"Antisemites thrive on acquiescence," Igel said. "They want us to accept their hatred as a feature of society, rather than an aberration to be fought wherever it arises. That is not an option. The Holocaust taught us that apathy enables the perpetrator, and abhorrent behavior should never feel normal. Help present a united front against antisemitism through education, understanding and action. We all have a role to play in creating safer and kinder communities."

With the Oct. 7 surprise attack by Hamas against Israelis in Gaza and the military action in the region since, Rep. Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, said the House couldn't wait two months for the 2024 legislative session to convene "to ensure the safety of students at Florida’s Jewish day schools and ease the justifiable fears of their parents.

“In Florida, we don’t wait around to act," said Renner. "Thanks to Gov. DeSantis’ support, we eased the justifiable fears of parents with children in Jewish Day Schools and redoubled our efforts to stand with Israel by refusing to do business with the government of Iran and others who support and fund terrorism.”

The $45 million appropriation will be managed through grants for security measures from the Florida Division of Emergency Management and the Department of Education.

During a visit to Parkland on Oct. 29, less than 24 hours after a group of children yelled racial slurs outside the Kol Tikvah synagogue in Parkland as they rode by on their bicycles, DeSantis spoke out against acts of antisemitism and ordered Florida Highway Patrol troopers to be stationed at Jewish schools and synagogues.

According to synagogue leaders, a group of teens rode by, shouting "Death to Jews" at synagogue members standing outside.

Broward County Sheriff’s Office deputies said they could not locate the group on bikes that targeted the synagogue.

U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz, who represents Florida’s 23rd congressional district, said in a statement, “No doubt ‘kill the Jews’ is something these kids on bicycles saw on TikTok or Instagram. Our country has been infiltrated by antisemitism and hatred.”

Moskowitz said there's now talk in Palestine and other Middle Eastern nations about eliminating the entire state of Israel "and they’re advocating for the mass murder of Jews. This has gone into a horrible place that reminds the Jewish community, quite frankly, of the reason why Israel was created in the first place — because there is a tremendous amount of antisemitism in the world.”

Related:

• Neo-Nazi Who Hung Swastika Flags From FL Bridge Charged: Officials
• 2nd Neo-Nazi Arrested For Hanging Antisemitic Signs On FL Bridge: FDLE
• State, Cities Fight Back Against Growing Antisemitism In Florida
• Anti-Semitic Incidents Up 57 Percent — See How Florida Fared
• DeSantis Bans Pro-Palestinian Groups From FL College Campuses
• South FL Dentist Fired For Tearing Down Fliers Of Israeli Hostages

Even before the attack on Israel, DeSantis said Florida had experienced increased acts of antisemitism, including the hanging of swastikas and other antisemitic banners along the Daryl Carter Parkway Bridge in Orlando.

Florida Department of Law Enforcement agents, with the assistance of the Florida Highway Patrol, arrested Jason Brown, 48, of Cape Canaveral, on Sept. 14 for his part in hanging the banners. And on Sept. 18, the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office arrested Anthony Altick, 36.

There are also two outstanding arrest warrants for other members of the antisemitic extremist group calling itself the “Order of the Black Sun."

“Jews around the world are being attacked. Jews around the world are being threatened,” said Maor Elbaz-Starinsky, consul general of Israel in Miami. “We have to go through this as a community — not only as a Jewish community, not only as Jewish people — as a community, to fight, to fight Hamas, to fight the terrorists, to fight the antisemites.”

Commending the Florida Legislature's actions to protect Jewish Floridians, Igel said, "As ever, we are all collectively responsible for making these reprehensible acts unacceptable in every context. We appreciate everyone who has spoken up to reject the Nazis and their antisemitic message, and we urge all upstanders to continue to do their part."