Eighteen synagogues, Jewish schools and community centres in the Mount Royal riding are among the 19 organizations receiving a total of more than $1.2 million under a federal government program to enhance their security.
This is part of the latest round of funding under the Communities at Risk: Securities Infrastructure Program (SIP) open to religious, educational and cultural institutions of identifiable groups deemed to be vulnerable to hate-motivated crime.
Federation CJA and Jewish People’s and Peretz Schools each received the maximum $100,000 grant available, and Congregation Beth Chabad Côte St. Luc got almost that much: over $91,000.
The sole recipient outside the Jewish community is the Ahlill Bait Islamic Organization, a mosque in the Côte des Neiges district.
The funding was announced by Mount Royal MP Anthony Housefather, who stated: “Like many in the riding I am horrified by the rising acts of antisemitism and Islamophobia here and across the country. I am proud that our government stands firmly behind the Jewish and Muslim communities during these times and provides much needed funding to keep communities and their institutions safe.”
He thanked Federation CJA for its guidance to many Jewish institutions in the co-ordination of their security programs.
Last month, Public Safety Minister Bill Blair announced that over $6 million would be awarded this fiscal year to 150 projects across the country, the largest amount in the history of SIP, which was launched in 2007.
The money is to be used to enhance the physical security of places of worship and private not-for-profit educational and cultural institutions, up to 50 per cent of the total cost of a project. This year, the training of staff in security procedures was added to the eligibility criteria.
SIP’s budget has been increased to $8 million for the 2021-2022 fiscal year. The deadline for applications is Sept. 22.
