Senator Lauren Book to Present $654,491 Appropriation to Protect Florida Jewish Day School Students

State Senator Lauren Book will be presenting a $654,491 check to Florida’s Jewish Day Schools to increase security measures in the wake of anti-Semitic bomb threats made earlier this year.
“As a Jewish woman, I am saddened and shocked by the hateful and emboldened actions of KKK and NeoNazi groups around the country – and right here in Broward County,” says Senator Lauren Book. “Earlier this year, more than 100 Jewish Day Schools received bomb threats — including our own Posnack School in Davie. These threats lead to evacuations, disruptions to classroom learning, and worst of all: fear in the hearts of children, families, and communities who want nothing more than to live and learn peacefully and safely. These funds will ensure security and safety for 10,000 Florida students, and provide peace of mind to Jewish children and families for years to come.”
Earlier this year, more than 100 Jewish centers across the country received bomb threats, sparking action on the local, state, and national levels. Following a threat to Posnack Jewish Day School in Davie this past March, Senator Book and her colleagues fought for this funding to increase security measures at Jewish Day Schools throughout the state. At this same time, U.S. Senators Bill Nelson and Marco Rubio sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and former FBI Director James Comey to express alarm and urge action. The letter was cosigned by all 100 U.S. Senators.
The $654,000 appropriation will be distributed to 35 schools in 9 counties; 26 of these schools are located in Miami-Dade, Broward, or Palm Beach Counties. The funds will be used to provide school safety measures for 10,000 students, including equipment, facility, and technology upgrades such as fences, blast proof doors, cameras, gates, communication equipment, monitoring systems, and security officers. The Florida Department of Education will issue an application process for schools to apply for funding.
The check will be presented Tuesday, September 5, 2017 at 9:00 a.m. during a school visit to Temple Beth Emet Day School, 4807 S. Flamingo Road, Cooper City.