People of different faiths wear the Jewish kippah during a demonstration against anti-Semitism in Germany in April. | Jens Meyer, AP
Published on March 5, 2024 at 2:55 pm
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The Florida Senate on Tuesday gave final passage to a measure that is designed to bolster security at Jewish day schools, with the bill sponsor citing an increase in antisemitic incidents.
Senators voted unanimously to approve the measure (HB 1109), putting it in a position to go to Gov. Ron DeSantis.
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The proposal would make funding for various safety measures at Jewish day schools recurring in each year’s state budget. The bill would require money to be spent on things such as security cameras, hiring of security personnel, shatter-resistant glass for windows, and expenses “relating to transportation to minimize security exposure of staff, parents, and students.”
The Legislature last year allocated $30 million to Jewish day schools, including $25 million during a special legislative session in November.
Sen. Joe Gruters, a Sarasota Republican who sponsored the bill, and other supporters of the measure have said that antisemitism has been on the rise since October, amid the war between Israel and Hamas.
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“Jewish day school enrollment is up 50% in the past five years as the number of schools have doubled. Between increasing enrollment and the rising antisemitism, the latest security costs have risen, on average, 47%, Gruters said Tuesday.
