New York is directing a record $70 million to help protect nonprofit organizations vulnerable to hate crimes as the state prepares for the Jewish High Holidays, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Tuesday.
The funding will go to 290 nonprofit community organizations for physical security and cybersecurity improvements. Hochul also directed the New York State Police to increase patrols and coordinate with local law enforcement around Jewish communities and religious institutions during the upcoming holidays.
NY increases police presence during High Holidays
The Jewish High Holidays begin later this week. State Police will conduct high-visibility patrols at Jewish communities and religious institutions across New York, according to Hochul's office.
Troopers have also begun outreach to religious leaders
and will coordinate with the Anti-Defamation League, Community Security Initiative, Secure Community Network, the NYPD and federal partners.
Hochul said the increased security comes as reported hate crimes have continued to rise, even as violent crime has declined in New York City and statewide.
“As Jewish New Yorkers prepare for the High Holidays, we’re continuing our record investments to protect sensitive sites and surging State Police resources to keep communities safe across our state,” Hochul said.
Hate crimes against Jewish New Yorkers rise
New York City reported 425 hate crimes through Aug. 30, compared with 367 during the same period in 2025, an increase of 16%, according to the governor's office.
Anti-Jewish hate crimes increased from 212 to 229 during the same period, an 8% increase. They accounted for 53.9% of confirmed hate crimes in the city.
Outside New York City, preliminary data from more than 500 police departments and sheriffs' offices showed 57 reported hate crimes during the first quarter of 2026, compared with 49 during the same period last year, according to the governor's office. Anti-Jewish crimes were the most frequently reported type.
$70 million will fund security upgrades
The Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes grant program will provide up to $250,000 per organization for eligible security and cybersecurity projects.
Eligible organizations include houses of worship, religious organizations, community and civic centers, cultural museums, day care centers and other nonprofits considered vulnerable to hate crimes or attacks because of their ideology, beliefs or mission.
Funding can be used for improvements such as lighting, locks, alarms, panic buttons, fencing, barriers, access controls, shatter-resistant glass, cybersecurity enhancements and security training.
The latest round brings the total state funding awarded through the program since Hochul took office to more than $201 million for 2,035 projects.
The state will not publicly identify grant recipients because officials said doing so could create a security risk.
Most funding going to NYC, Hudson Valley
Organizations in eight of New York's 10 regions received grants in the latest round:
- New York City: 147 grants totaling $35.8 million
- Mid-Hudson: 99 grants totaling $24.2 million
- Long Island: 25 grants totaling $6 million
- Capital Region: 10 grants totaling $2 million
- Finger Lakes: three grants totaling $750,000
- Central New York: two grants totaling $500,000
- Southern Tier: two grants totaling $372,350
- Western New York: two grants totaling $347,000
The grants were awarded to organizations that completed vulnerability assessments and outlined how the proposed security improvements would protect their facilities and the people they serve.
When is Rosh Hashanah 2026?
Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins at sundown Friday, Sept. 11, and ends at nightfall Sunday, Sept. 13.
Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of the Jewish High Holy Days, which culminate with Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement.
The date of Rosh Hashanah changes each year because it is based on the Hebrew calendar. It begins on the first day of the seventh month and typically falls in September or October.
Why is Rosh Hashanah celebrated?
Rosh Hashanah is a time of reflection and marks the beginning of the Days of Awe, a 10-day period of introspection and repentance leading to Yom Kippur.
The holiday is associated with the creation of humanity and is sometimes referred to as the "birthday of the world."
Rosh Hashanah is often treated as a time to reflect on the previous year and focus on hopes for the coming year, according to Jordan Rosenblum, the Belzer Professor of Classical Judaism and Max and Frieda Weinstein-Bascom Professor of Jewish Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
“It's the beginning of the Jewish calendar, and like all new years there are, it’s a time for sort of taking stock, right? What do I want to improve? You know, the equivalent of joining the gym in January,” he said.
How is Rosh Hashanah celebrated?
Many Jewish people attend services at synagogues and other places of worship during Rosh Hashanah. Congregations recite special prayers and songs to mark the new year.
Some Jewish communities blow a shofar, a curved ram's horn traditionally used during the High Holy Days.
The holiday also encourages reflection and reconciliation as people prepare for the year ahead.
“It’s meant to kind of stir you, awaken you to the idea of thinking of new year, taking stock, preparing to atone, and in the month leading up to Rosh Hashanah it begins to be used as a kind of wake up,” Rosenblum said. “It really kind of pierces the air, and you can't ignore it.”
Some Jews also participate in a Tashlich ceremony, praying near a body of water and symbolically casting away sins. The ceremony may include tossing pieces of bread or other food into the water.
Looking ahead: When is Yom Kippur?
Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, begins at dusk Sunday, Sept. 20, and ends at nightfall Monday, Sept. 21, in 2026.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: New York directs $70M to nonprofit security ahead of Jewish High Holidays
