Two Florida synagogues that were hit by Hurricane Irma are suing the Federal Emergency Management Agency for denying them disaster-relief grants because they are houses of worship. Chabad of Key West and Chabad of the Space Coast argue that FEMA’s regulation against giving aid to religious institutions violates the First Amendment. FEMA gives repair funds…
Armed with a presidential tweet, a bill moving forward in Congress and a pending lawsuit, Jewish and Christian advocates believe they are on the verge of overturning a long-standing policy that has prohibited federal emergency funds from reaching houses of worship hit by natural disasters. The public face of this campaign is Christian. A short…
(JTA) — A Florida police officer has been suspended with pay after complaints that he posted anti-Semitic comments on his Facebook page. A selfie of police officer Michael Hamill and two other Gainesville, Florida, police officers was posted on the department’s Facebook page, showing the officers helping the community in the wake of Hurricane Irma….
Volunteers with a Jewish funeral society discovered dozens of Holocaust survivors in one Florida condo building who had lasted through Hurricane Irma and its aftermath for days without food, water or power, Yeshiva World News reported. The Chesed Shel Emes society had received a request to check on an elderly Jewish woman at the Olympic…
Thousands of Jewish seniors in parts of South Florida are still without power due to the after-effects of Hurricane Irma, an issue of growing concern after at least seven people died in a local nursing home. “At the moment, we’re still working on getting people food and water, and we’re waiting on electrical in a…
A tweet by President Trump about hurricanes Irma and Harvey is renewing hope among Jewish groups that have long advocated for emergency assistance to synagogues. “Churches in Texas should be entitled to reimbursement from FEMA Relief Funds for helping victims of Hurricane Harvey (just like others),” Trump said on Twitter, referring to the Federal Emergency…
In response to Hurricane Harvey devastating Houston, the greater southeast Texas and parts of Louisiana, the New York Police Department’s District 3 teamed up with Jewish community organization Amudim, the grocery store Seasons Kosher and other local Jewish organizations to send aid and supplies to where they’re needed most. As District 3 collected funds internally…
The island of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands was among the worst hit by hurricane Irma. But even wind gusts of near 200 miles per hour and torrential rain could not prevent the local synagogue from holding Shabbat services. And Irma failed to damage the synagogue’s treasured Torah scrolls. The Hebrew Congregation of…
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