NY to Award $25 Million to Orgs Under Hate Crime Threat

By Meir Sternhill

Organizations facing the threat of hate crime violence in New York State will be eligible to receive funding to protect themselves as part of a $25 million allotment.

The announcement was made by Governor Kathy Hochul at the state’s inaugural “unity summit,” in which leaders of ethnic and minority groups gathered to discuss how to fight the rising tide of hate. Anti-Semitic violence by far is the most common hate crime.

Among the 500 attendees were Rabbi Moshe Hauer of the Orthodox Union and Devorah Halberstam, the founder of the Jewish Children’s Museum in Crown Heights. Mrs. Halberstam has become an advocate for unity ever since her son, Ari Hy”d, was killed by a Palestinian terrorist on the Brooklyn Bridge in 1994.

Hochul described battling hate as “our defining moment” in her remarks at the summit. She said that the $25 million, which was approved by the legislature in its 2024 budget which passed two weeks ago, will help organizations enhance security measures and support trainings, public awareness campaigns, and other outreach efforts.

The 2024 budget also includes $3.5 million in funding for the Hate and Bias Prevention Unit, whose work includes the coordination of 10 regional councils convened to address different biases and challenges across New York. All 10 regional councils have been formed and will begin meeting in the coming weeks.

The summit featured keynote remarks from former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch and included a panel on “The State of Hate in New York.”