When all you have is hammers, you fight crime with hammers.
Posted on 09/01/2023 4:05:12 PM PDT by Third Person
NEWINGTON, Conn. (WTNH) — Statistics show that hate crimes and incidents, both white supremacy and antisemitic, are on the rise in Connecticut.
The landscape creates fear in communities, but Friday, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) announced a new grant to ensure 23 Connecticut faith organizations are prepared for potential threats.
It’s a grant Temple Sinai wishes it didn’t need, but after recent antisemitic incidents across the country and at the synagogue, leaders are ready to enhance security.
“I wish we didn’t need to combat this but because it’s present we do,” said Brett Esterson, the president of the board of trustees at Newington’s Temple Sinai.
The temple was awarded nearly $150,000, which will be used for training and security — including more cameras and better lighting.
Esterson said Sinai has seen incidents of antisemitic remarks made on Zoom during the pandemic. It hopes to eliminate future incidents.
“Protect yourself, protect the person next to you and our goal is to keep everyone in the congregation safe,” Esterson said. “That they can come here, pray here, learn here and leave safe.”
Bristol police, FBI investigating racist rally It’s the top issue that the Jewish Federal of Greater Hartford is lobbying on, according to the organization’s president and CEO David Waren.
“Because it’s life and death,” he said.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford will receive about $133,000 in grants.
“If people aren’t comfortable engaging in religious life, dropping their kids off at a JCC, summer camp, synagogue life and elsewhere, than all the programmatic work, all the rest is meaningless,” Waren said.
The training covers prevention, imminent danger, plans of action and the medical response in the aftermath of an incident.
“[It’s] tailored specifically for each institution because some of is, where are the exits here? Where are the places to hide here?” Waren said.
The money is coming from the Nonprofit Security Grant, which is designated for groups that are at high risk for a terrorist attack.
Last year, Blumenthal worked to broaden what constitutes as a hate crime and advocated for stricter penalties. He said this is the next step in making communities safer.
“It’s not a prank, it’s not a joke hate crimes, whether it’s white supremacy or antisemitic, are the cancer that infects our entire society,” he said.
According to the Anti-Defamation League, there were 207 white supremacist and 64 antisemitic incidents in Connecticut last year. This year’s numbers are also trending high.
“We are really seeing a dramatic increase, and anecdotally I can add that information that has been reported to us so far this year shows a greater increase, as well,” said Stacey Sobel, the Connecticut regional director of the Anti-Defamation League.
The impoverished Jewish population of Connecticut is in dire need
Three things in that headline are SO wrong.
1. STATE
2. Giving
3. Hate crimes
Put them all together and what have you got?
The congregations and memberships can’t chip in and pony up cash and volunteers for cameras and lighting?
Well why should they when they can let some politician grandstand about “doing something” about (insert topic here).
Of course, God forbid any kind of crazy mass killing event occurs, cameras and lighting won’t stop the lunatic.
Anyone remember the things Blumenthal did and said to Leiberman?
I do.
I’m so glad I’m out of that state.
Will the state give them weapons to defend themselves?
Church I attend pays for our own security.
Well it’s kind of obvious who butters Dick Blumenthal’s bread. Sucking up to one’s base constituents is part of the job. So dole out some government cash to the institutions who’s membership makes up the base - churches, synagogues, mosques... I wonder if the Elks Lodge got any money?
When all you have is hammers, you fight crime with hammers.
2020 Connecticut vote:
Biden 59.3%
Trump 39.2%
And President is Dem, US Senate Dem. Governor Ned Lamont is a Dem.
That means all hate crimes are the fault of the Democrats.
Democrats are to blame. What can we do about it?
As an old Law and Order SVU show during Trump’s Presidency said: “Since the new President haters feel empowered.” “The hate was always there but now people feel like they can bring it into the open.”
Episode of a woman attacked inside a synagogue first had false claim of MAGA hat culprits, then they were found to be non-MAGA Jews and finally the Muslim woman admitted she set it all up to make the others look bad but a fellow Muslim took the chance to rape and beat her.
“Esterson said Sinai has seen incidents of antisemitic remarks made on Zoom during the pandemic.”
Well, then STOP watching the US Congress on Zoom (or whatever), if that really bothers you.
“The impoverished Jewish population of Connecticut is in dire need”
Yup—lol.
The Democrats want “equity” unless it is one of their key constituencies—then they want special favors.
Some scheissters on TV are preparing "care packages" for them as we speak.
I love how the article conflates “hate crimes” (a stupid enough concept on its own) with “antisemitic remarks”, AKA Free Speech. You don’t have to like what some knucklehead says about Jews, but said knucklehead has the right to say it.
Don’t forget both branches of the state legislature are firmly in the Democrat majority column.
I live in Connecticut. Strangely, this is the first time I’ve ever heard this reported in the news. yYou would think they could cite specifically, or have video of, what was supposedly antisemitic during one of their zoom calls?
“You would think they could cite specifically, or have video of, what was supposedly antisemitic during one of their zoom calls?”
Since when is EVIDENCE needed for the Left - if they say it, it must be true (and, sadly, it is ‘true’ for much of the country, whether it’s hate crimes or the war in Ukraine).
“You don’t have to like what some knucklehead says about Jews, but said knucklehead has the right to say it”
Absolutely, as long as it doesn’t endorse violence, which is only the case, VERY RARELY, if at all these days. But pointing out something like ‘disproportionate representation’ by some ‘protected group’ on corporate boards, the media, government, advertising, Ukraine shills, etc. is TOTALLY fair game, at least in my book.
How can this be, it’s a Democrat State?
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