[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6250582,"mediaKeyId","3199986-db9edf5908e72c26168cd675775ebc44","parentId",3199986,"title","State and local grants help harden faith and nonprofit sites; demand far outstrips funds","audioSeconds",2661,"startMs",7584074,"endMs",10245080,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3199986-db9edf5908e72c26168cd675775ebc44&start=7584&end=10245","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3199986-db9edf5908e72c26168cd675775ebc44/thumbnail_7584074.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6250582/Massachusetts/State-and-local-grants-help-harden-faith-and-nonprofit-sites-demand-far-outstrips-funds","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6250582-81dd180965e827edd6e4297a900c3485/orig.mp4?Expires=1771042828&Signature=MwOf2MCAi6IGHt0PRGdntE32cHoZWGmE7hF2VebREZ9hE3kEiTbm-ffa~fkzJg9Bb77lA6yFc~whbA~YeN2aHiz2ZrP44oQ2YyW61i3VH0xd9xjysHF1TkV9VeENq1Nmw2ms00bH-W78KWZEL~iFU-gHFjY70xFDVgbxq5~tDcLO8i-Cr0M52Xya-rxAvLjbjZ5oGsAxwdXMDO7xoggajgzg65QBL6EwXBzuh2r9S6rga736DEr1hyTT5rIw7lpMeozxGbWMJwk~dPjPh0gF~L3bYm~itE-JgV~IhuKYE-JFNeP-DdwtXf1WQj-lOsWvSLOcLAJ1X5-1vPFTJSpwRQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Massachusetts Legislature","date","2025-05-05T00:00:00Z","article","Officials from the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPS), Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP), and JCC Greater Boston briefed the Special Commission on Antisemitism on nonprofit security grants, how recipients use the money, and remaining unmet needs.

Kevin Stanton, executive director of the EOPS Office of Grants and Research, said the Commonwealth’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program has grown since its 2018 launch and in fiscal year 2025 the program budget reached nearly $4.5 million. He said OGR received 162 applications for the state programs this year and awarded grants to 102 organizations based on available funding. Since 2018 the office has distributed more than $15 million in state funds to more than 300 nonprofits; Stanton said federal awards to Massachusetts nonprofits total about $22 million to roughly 200 organizations, which he said yields a combined total of more than $37 million benefiting more than 500 organizations.

Stanton described eligible uses (physical‑security enhancements and contracted security personnel) and said applicants document risk through prior threats, incidents, or credible indicators for similar institutions. He said FEMA’s 2024 Nonprofit Security Grant Program supplemental awards are pending federal approval and that states were led to expect in‑year allocations; he estimated Massachusetts might receive a roughly $4 million federal supplemental allocation but said the state was waiting on FEMA final approval before awarding the funds.

Jeremy Yamin of Combined Jewish Philanthropies described CJP’s Communal Security Initiative, which provides assessments, grant‑writing support, training and limited direct grants to Jewish institutions. He said CJP has helped roughly 375 Jewish institutions in Eastern New England and has assisted applicants in obtaining nearly $5 million in Commonwealth grants since 2018. Yamin summarized typical investments funded by grants — cameras, access control, intercoms, bollards, window film, fencing, and training — and said personnel costs remain a major ongoing pressure for nonprofits.

Lily Rabinoff Goldman, president and CEO of JCC Greater Boston, said the JCC uses grants for access control, monitoring and communications and noted that recurring personnel costs for security personnel are particularly difficult for nonprofits to absorb within thin operating budgets. Panelists and commissioners agreed unmet need remains large; Stanton and Yamin urged continued funding, technical assistance and outreach to smaller and rural institutions to improve access to grants.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Combating Antisemitism Commission - 5-5-2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, Combined Jewish Philanthropies and JCC Greater Boston described state and federal nonprofit security grant programs, how funds are used, and continuing unmet demand for personnel and infrastructure funding.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature MA, Massachusetts","taxId",77682,"location","Massachusetts","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6250586,"State Police describe new HEART unit, outreach and a planned hate‑incident portal as reports of antisemitic crimes rise",729,4994910,5723995,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3199986-db9edf5908e72c26168cd675775ebc44&start=4994&end=5723","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3199986-db9edf5908e72c26168cd675775ebc44/thumbnail_4994910.jpg","/articles/6250586/Massachusetts/State-Police-describe-new-HEART-unit-outreach-and-a-planned-hateincident-portal-as-reports-of-antisemitic-crimes-rise","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6250586-faccc725c893d2761a9b7ed93443f5a2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771042828&Signature=P98jABGXcvEGuhboDfbHekAVlHnKlefUBQL7HrGWncU4XtYQ9mWP8lAPp1PUmRno1FYparEt1iNepXzqodD0zVNZz3aqq6aAeAMul5NeuRz-5TvP18pXyLPuVojgqMW2EUkP1Ff4wiBl7VKlOhSXWe8zjFbpM2ZGJbki5yrkAyiROO0s85A2FH-PKF3DreyLUjSIAPFK5zkdzmc2tXoA0mrKSd9dP884ln5kGHVR3yWK55JimorU~x5f5Vpf1zdvF0w6w-U0-uXJo4V3Aj4aZNzlLMbFSvoa-Gxp1Uq-gagMDh9aJBSEqTxYFALGr7jVNo75PpiA8QR0NeqA41R6Uw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Detective Lieutenant Ryan Seapial, commander of the Anti‑Terrorism Unit’s HEART team, told the Special Commission on Antisemitism that the unit is building statewide capacity to track hate incidents, support local investigations, and coordinate with federal and community partners.

Seapial said HEART has contacted 399 agencies to confirm civil‑rights officers, created a Microsoft Teams page to share training and resources, and is developing a CJIS‑based hate‑incident reporting portal with a tentative live date of June 24, 2025. He described HEART’s partnerships with the ADL, Secure Community Network, Combined Jewish Philanthropies, local police departments, the FBI, and federal civil‑rights prosecutors. He credited those partnerships with investigative and community outcomes, including the arrest in a plot to shoot people outside a synagogue in which HEART assisted federal and local partners.

Seapial said HEART has one sergeant and five troopers assigned geographically (one each in Worcester, Lowell, Lakeville, and two in Chelsea) and that the unit uses NIBRS data while building improved reporting capacity. He provided NIBRS counts showing a year‑over‑year increase in reported antisemitic hate crimes in the Commonwealth: 51 (2020), 68 (2021), 123 (2023), and 147 (2024), with a limited current figure due to reporting lags. Seapial emphasized training for patrol officers and civil‑rights officers, victim resources and referrals, and the unit’s role as a “force multiplier” for local investigations.

In questions, commissioners asked about geographic coverage, the portal’s reporting requirements, and outreach to smaller or rural communities. Seapial said there is coverage across the state — including ATU resources based out of Springfield — and that the portal will include fields for residence status to help analysts track whether incidents involve in‑state residents or external agitators. He said there is no statutory mandate for local departments to notify HEART, making outreach and relationships central to improving reporting.","The Massachusetts State Police outlined the mission and early progress of HEART (Hate Crimes Awareness and Response Team), partnerships with community groups and federal agencies, and plans for a CJIS‑based hate‑incident reporting portal.\n",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6250591,"Essex County prosecutor outlines federal and Massachusetts statutes used to prosecute bias‑motivated crimes",1284,2243510,3527815,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3199986-db9edf5908e72c26168cd675775ebc44&start=2243&end=3527","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3199986-db9edf5908e72c26168cd675775ebc44/thumbnail_2243510.jpg","/articles/6250591/Massachusetts/Essex-County-prosecutor-outlines-federal-and-Massachusetts-statutes-used-to-prosecute-biasmotivated-crimes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6250591-c4e514b624d16bcc68c8cd3e7f438075/orig.mp4?Expires=1771042828&Signature=cg8DwI1E59V16QnAGaoGAEK726NSzjrigDFMj0h-MWvsw7GEuhR6joOPMuMQ134fkVi5ZsaOhHkAqSy9MJRBlS6hmtwQGL5mmQQDUanykOCGYUEMiFTZbVKzLH7VRc2pBsY3PeQwZZ8RyrbACtFyh7nf-WaCKHiHg6xIm8MeJG4tHf8zUPNGQWHWukK6FhCDKrZGk01pNfqHuJHwiloiTFxv0LNVyElv84FqvnaFF4BQoG0rlXrZ2eQrKF~vWKPXADTx8OxGtDDwucDIUA9I3LtEzl6I0qGVhCoLpvHXGvCtsFim9XCpupSM7cI~cfRhJRz5iEFBmcUWece2mTmnEg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dave O’Sullivan, Deputy Chief of Appeals in the Essex County District Attorney’s Office, told the Special Commission on Antisemitism that federal and Massachusetts statutes offer a range of criminal tools for bias‑motivated offenses but that each has different elements and practical limits.

O’Sullivan reviewed federal statutes including the federal Hate Crime Act (18 U.S.C. §249) and the civil‑rights violation statute (18 U.S.C. §245), noting that federal prosecution sometimes requires written certification by the U.S. attorney general if the state has not pursued the case. He described other federal tools — conspiracy and color‑of‑law provisions, the Church Arson Prevention Act, the Freedom to Access Clinic Entrances statute, and the Hate Crime Statistics Act — and said those statutes provide enhanced penalties in specific circumstances.

On Massachusetts law, O’Sullivan summarized the State’s hate‑crime framework and reporting statutes (G.L. c. 22C §§32–35) and explained that the Commonwealth’s civil‑rights violation statute (G.L. c. 265 §37) and the assault‑and‑battery‑to‑intimidate statute (G.L. c. 265 §39) can be charged in bias‑motivated cases. He said Chapter 22C categorizes and tracks hate crimes but “does not create a freestanding crime” or specify penalties; instead, bias motivation generally enhances penalties for underlying offenses.

O’Sullivan addressed the tension between First Amendment speech protections and criminal liability, citing Brandenburg v. Ohio as the standard for incitement that may be prosecuted if it is intended and likely to produce imminent lawless action. He also discussed the “terroristic threat” statute and explained his office’s reading that those statutes do not automatically satisfy the state’s 58A dangerousness detention criteria because they may be satisfied by threats against property rather than force against a person.

Commissioners posed hypotheticals about whether specific conduct (for example, a defendant wearing a Confederate flag while assaulting a Black person, or yelling “Hitler should have finished the job” at a Jewish victim) would be chargeable under state hate‑crime statutes. O’Sullivan said these scenarios would likely be examined closely and, depending on the facts, could be charged under G.L. c. 265 §37 or §39, but stressed the need to review each case’s facts before charging decisions.

He urged improved training for front‑line officers and better victim‑centered processes to increase reporting and improve prosecutors’ ability to prove motive and sustain prosecutions. O’Sullivan also flagged statutory and investigative gaps — for example, reporting inconsistencies to the state’s NIBRS system and limits on present statutory predicates for pretrial dangerousness detentions — that affect how prosecutors pursue bias‑motivated crimes.","Essex County Assistant District Attorney Dave O'Sullivan briefed the commission on federal and state hate‑crime statutes, their elements, and practical limits prosecutors face when pursuing bias‑motivated offenses.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6250596,"ADL: White‑supremacist and extremist groups are repurposing anti‑Zionist language to broaden audiences",1861,367575,2229275,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3199986-db9edf5908e72c26168cd675775ebc44&start=367&end=2229","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3199986-db9edf5908e72c26168cd675775ebc44/thumbnail_367575.jpg","/articles/6250596/Massachusetts/ADL-Whitesupremacist-and-extremist-groups-are-repurposing-antiZionist-language-to-broaden-audiences","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6250596-66a41767894d3dfaad0a2f7be77b99b7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771042828&Signature=Ve4R1qH9W4MK8yig5wr8aill65-t~I1Fs~eQgP7ldW99hjNChjPoP9Xv4zuA7nP6zoh7VFx~5rX5kMXxizeWDjMNHiec3D0-bhSG5bMNACaOXlKnJEVVMHMXgEh5XGnu~JeW712oaU9J3u32T~XhLhcLTDXEpm4f4leeQd9fgM4Ahpo8SmzQWPDgURCBbUikxIh2wmuFRTIGk5IvaJyacztvHwUfZ-npIfJAe5lbOF3ojBHc--YJyQA8CZv4RVDNrCk8nKPrzy9sigqK~B8xZ~Vpr4UknhsItesJkDw3DVw~l3WqHqWrC44w29HNQdDPoBegyMsSY6mUF7Nv94G0ew__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At a meeting of the Special Commission on Antisemitism, Ben Pott of the Anti‑Defamation League’s Center on Extremism described a national rise in extremist propaganda and said some white‑supremacist groups have begun using anti‑Zionist language to reach wider audiences.

Pott told commissioners that after October 7 some groups began “adopting anti‑Zionist language as part of their rhetoric” and that, in some cases, extremists substitute the word “Zionist” for “Jew” in order to draw in people who would otherwise not identify as antisemitic. He said that different groups use different recruitment strategies — from physical training and “white warrior” aesthetics to short, viral online clips — and that streaming income has become a revenue source for some groups.

The ADL representative described the organization’s tracking tools, including an incidents database and an “A on Display” resource used by law enforcement and others to monitor extremist activity and antisemitic incidents. Commissioners asked how incidents categorized as “Israel or Zionist related” in the ADL’s 2024 audit relate to activity by both right‑ and left‑wing extremists. Pott said he is “slightly less educated” on left‑wing extremist networks but said his team observed white‑supremacist groups amplifying anti‑Zionist themes to insert themselves into current events and propaganda streams.

Commissioners also asked about countermeasures. Pott said the ADL works directly with social media companies to flag content and remove accounts but described the effort as a “whack‑a‑mole” problem, with copies reappearing on other platforms. He said third‑party deradicalization speakers — former extremists who speak publicly about leaving violent movements — can be valuable adjuncts to prevention efforts, especially for younger people engaging with extremist material online.

Commissioners thanked the ADL for the presentation and said they would continue to coordinate with law enforcement and community organizations. The commission’s agenda moved next to presentations on hate‑crime law and security funding.","The ADL Center on Extremism told the Special Commission on Antisemitism that extremist groups increasingly adopt anti‑Zionist language and online propaganda to recruit and raise funds, complicating efforts to track antisemitic incidents.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

State and local grants help harden faith and nonprofit sites; demand far outstrips funds

State Police describe new HEART unit, outreach and a planned hate‑incident portal as reports of antisemitic crimes rise

Essex County prosecutor outlines federal and Massachusetts statutes used to prosecute bias‑motivated crimes

ADL: White‑supremacist and extremist groups are repurposing anti‑Zionist language to broaden audiences