Three congregations in Andover will receive funding from the state to upgrade their security systems, according to a press release from the Healey-Driscoll administration.
The administration announced nearly $5 million in state grants to support more than 100 nonprofit organizations — including houses of worship — which it determined could be of risk of hate crimes or terror attacks, the press release said.
The four in Andover and North Andover are Chinmaya Mission Boston, Merrimack Valley Lubavitch Inc., North Parish of North Andover and St. Augustine School.
The administration said the funding is part of a broader investment in security improvements for nonprofits, which totaled $16.4 million in 2024.
While none of the four local congregations reported being the target of hate crimes, the state said protecting groups from such criminal actions was the focus of the state effort.
“Healey-Driscoll administration and the Office of Grants and Research are here to support individuals and organizations that may be targeted,” said Renee Algarin, the director of communications for the Office of Grants and Research, in an interview. “Everyone has the right to live safely in Massachusetts and everywhere.”
Algarin said she expects the grant would help organizations protect their facilities, staff and the people they serve.
She said the state assessed security needs, risk factors and past hate crime experiences of each applicant. The state received 131 applications for the Commonwealth Nonprofit Security Grant Program and awarded grants to 82.
Representatives from three of the local award recipients in Andover — Chinmaya Mission Boston, an Indian community devoted to peace; North Parish of North Andover, whose members include worshipers from various theological beliefs; and St. Augustine School, a part of Andover’s largest Catholic parish — declined to comment about the state funding.
Asher Bronstein, the founder of Merrimack Valley Lubavitch Inc., said that although there have been no hate crimes at his synagogue, security is still his biggest concern. Given the political climate, synagogue officials are concerned of being a target of violence, he said.
“It became the style to be antisemitic,” Bronstein said. “There are hate crimes everywhere.”
Antisemitic offenses in the state increased by 70 percent recently, with 119 anti-Jewish hate crimes reported in 2023 compared to 70 in 2022, according to the 2023 Massachusetts Hate Crime Report.
Bronstein said that as added protections he has installed a door lock and fences around his synagogue, and hired a part-time guard. The guard also gives public presentations about self-protection every Friday night. Even with those measures, he said, more is needed.
“We are doing everything to make sure it is a safe place,” he said.
Bronstein said he usually hosts public events in common areas with a police presence.
“This place is protected by the police department,” he said. “I try to make sure that everybody is protected, and everybody is happy to come.”
He said he plans to finish installing fencing and other security measures, including shielding the building’s windows from vandals.
“God created the beautiful world, and hate does not belong to this world, only peace,” Bronstein said. “We should love God, love the planet, and love every human-being.”
This story was published as part of a collaboration between Andover News and the Department of Journalism in Boston University’s College of Communication. The student journalist is a member of Professor Meghan E. Irons’s Reporting in Depth class.