Monmouth, Middlesex religious centers get federal security grants

WASHINGTON D.C. - Ten Jewish and Catholic Monmouth and Middlesex County houses of worship, schools and community centers, including Asbury Park, Marlboro, Deal and Aberdeen, can improve security on their grounds through a combined $3,800,000 federal grant.

The awards, announced Friday by shore Representative Frank Pallone (D-6), stem from the FEMA-administered

, which enables organizations nationwide considered at high risk of terrorist attacks to upgrade physical protections.

Accodring to Pallone, New Jersey groups received nearly $4,300,000 from the program in 2016, the final year of the Obama administration, and hate crimes have not abated.

• "The Trump administration must maintain this critical program and do much more to denounce hate and protect communities against violent bigots," the Democrat said in a prepared comment.
  Recipients are:
  · Chabad House Lubavitch Inc.- New Brunswick
  · Hillel Yeshiva - Asbury Park
  · Marlboro Jewish Center - Marlboro
  · Metuchen Jewish Community Center - Metuchen
  · Congregation Neve Shalom - Metuchen
  · Ocean Avenue Synagogue AKA Ohel Yaacob Congregation - Deal
  · The Diocese of Metuchen - Metuchen
  · Temple Beth Ahm - Aberdeen
  · Temple Emanu-El - Edison
  · Yeshiva Shaarei Tzion - Piscataway

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