Bomb Threats Made against Jewish Centers and Schools
Jewish facilities around the nation have been rocked by yet another wave of bomb threats Monday, forcing evacuations in at least 12 states.
At least 20 Jewish community centers and day schools in Alabama, North Carolina, New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Florida, Maryland, Michigan, Virginia and Delaware received threatening phone calls, The Huffington Post reported.
This marks the fifth wave of threats the Jewish community has seen since the beginning of 2017. There have now been over 160 bomb threats made to over 60 Jewish community centers since January.
The majority of the threats feature a disguised, robotic voice. One of the calls warned of “slaughter” by explosion. So far, no explosives have been found at any of the facilities targeted.
Monday’s threats come just one day after dozens of gravestones were topped over and damaged at a Jewish cemetery in Philadelphia. Days prior to that, vandals in Missouri caused widespread damage to a Jewish cemetery in University Center, toppling over at least 100 headstones.
“We are not going to allow this person or these persons to change the way we live,” said Paul Goldenberg, director of the Secure Community Network, which advises Jewish groups on security matters. “We’re going to keep on going to synagogue, we’re going to stay in our JCCs ― Jewish communal institutions remain safe because of the resources that we are putting into training the staff.”
It remains unclear who is making threats to the centers and schools – whether it is one person or a group. The FBI and Department of Justice have said they are investigating possible civil rights violations in connection to the threats.