On Thursday, January 11, Colorado Governor Jared Polis delivered his State of the State address in a joint House and Senate session at the State Capitol. In his address, the Governor recognized Beth Jacob High School of Denver for the nonprofit security grant they received from the state of Colorado. Rabbi Yossi Kaplan, Director of Agudath Israel of Colorado, joined Rabbi Aron Yehuda Schwab, Associate Dean of Beth Jacob, in a private meeting with Governor Polis before his address thanking the Governor for his recent efforts in helping supplement Colorado’s Non-Profit Security Grant Program amid rising antisemitism.
Agudah of Colorado welcomes the additional $1,000,000 in funding for the state’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) approved by the Joint Budget Committee (JBC) last month as a one-time emergency supplement. In 2022, the Colorado NSGP passed through efforts by Agudah of Colorado as part of a coalition led by the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of JEWISHColorado and other partners.
Other important issues discussed with the Governor at the meeting included UPK, expanding universal school meals to non-public schools, and the increase of long-term security funding for nonprofits to include all those at risk.