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June 10, 2005
Union of
Orthodox Jewish Congregations Commends Maryland Governor Bob
Ehrlich on Continuing Commitment to Securing Safety of Jewish
Community With $250,000 in Grants to Maryland Nonprofits
Today, the Union of
Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America - the nation's largest
Orthodox Jewish umbrella organization - commended Governor Bob
Ehrlich of Maryland for his continued commitment to providing
federal homeland security funds administered by the state to
Jewish community institutions for the purpose of upgrading their
physical security in the face of potential terrorist threats.
Yesterday, in Baltimore,
Gov. Ehrlich announced $250,000 in new homeland security funding
for 16 Jewish non-profit institutions in Maryland, in Baltimore
and the surrounding area including: Suburban Orthodox
Congregation, the Mikvah of Baltimore and several area schools and
yeshivas.
Governor Ehrlich was first
inspired to fund at-risk Jewish institutions after learning of a
suspicious incident where a Saudi national was seen video taping
the Bais Yaakov school in Baltimore during the Fall of 2003.
These funds, from
Maryland’s federal homeland security funding, are available as a
result of a successful effort mounted last year by the UOJCA and a
coalition of non-profit organizations to have the U.S. Congress
appropriate $25 million toward this specific purpose. Governor
Ehrlich has previously awarded the State’s own funds as well to
help secure at risk non-profits, particularly Jewish non-profits.
Nathan Diament, public
policy director for the Union, stated: “The Jewish community is
deeply appreciative of Gov. Ehrlich's ongoing commitment to
protecting our community's institutions and people. Gov. Ehrlich,
the trailblazer in this arena, was the first governor in the
nation to make federal homeland security funds administered by a
state available to secure the safety of Jewish institutions. Now
he has shown his commitment and his leadership on this issue not
just once, or twice, but three times. We hope other state and
local governments follow his example and provide funds to help
secure their own at-risk Jewish institutions as well. We thank
Gov. Ehrlich for his outstanding and continuing support.”
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