Maryland Lawmaker 'Deeply Concerned' About JCC Bomb Threats

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A Maryland lawmaker is among those asking federal officials for an update on the investigation into threats targeting Jewish Community Centers, including in the Baltimore area.

“I am deeply concerned by recent threats to Jewish Community Centers – including the JCC of Greater Baltimore – and by other anti-Semitic acts and crimes that have taken place across the country," Congressman John Sarbanes (D-Maryland) said Wednesday.

His statement came after 11 threats were phoned in to centers on Monday, bringing the total number of threats to 68 since early January, according to the JCC Association of North America.

The JCC of Greater Baltimore received threats by telephone on Jan. 9 and Jan. 18.

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While the Baltimore centers were not part of Monday's wave of threats, JCC of Greater Baltimore CEO Barak Hermann said: "It's very sad that our colleagues and fellow Jewish communities are facing these gut-wrenching experiences."

The Bender Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington, located at 6125 Montrose Road in Rockville, was closed for several hours on Jan. 9 following a bomb threat. Executive Director Michael Feinstein said the caller was a woman who claimed there was a bomb in the building. Sixteen other Jewish community centers in nine states across the country also received bomb threats that day.

According to CNN, at least one of the threats among the 68 stated that Jewish people would be "slaughtered" in the centers.

"It is imperative that immediate steps be taken to assess the situation, prosecute the perpetrators and deter future acts of intimidation and violence," Sarbanes said. "In every community of our nation...we must relentlessly and tirelessly combat anti-Semitism in all its forms."

Sarbanes and other lawmakers urged federal officials to take action to counter what could be a devastating blow to the future of the centers.

"These phone calls have an immediate emotional impact, of course, but they also have an economic impact," the letter from congressional leaders said. "The individuals who make these calls no doubt recognize that bomb threats, particularly when repeated, can compromise and even destroy a JCC’s financial future..."

A full copy of the letter sent by Congressman Sarbanes and his House colleagues is below.

Dear Secretary Kelly, Attorney General Sessions, and Director Comey,

We write to express our deep concern regarding the recent spate of anonymous bomb threats made via telephone against Jewish Community Centers (JCCs) across the nation. We urge the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice to swiftly assess the situation and to advise Congress on what specific steps are being taken, or will be taken, to deter such “telephone terrorism,” to identify and prosecute the perpetrators for violations of federal criminal laws, and to enable JCCs to enhance security measures such as physical barriers and guards, in the event that an individual seeks to act upon these threats.

This is not an idle concern, given that there have been at least three casualty-causing attacks at JCCs or other Jewish institutions in the last two decades—in 2014 at a Kansas JCC, in 2006 at the Jewish Federation of Seattle, and in 1999 at a California JCC. This is a national problem and, as such, it requires a national solution.

According to February 16, 2017 article on CNN.com, the JCC Association of North America (JCC Association) reports that 48 JCCs in 27 states received telephonic bomb threats in January 2017 alone. A number of JCCs, such as the Orlando Jewish Community Center, received multiple threats. On February 20th, 11 JCCs in as many states received bomb threats via telephone.

These phone calls have an immediate emotional impact, of course, but they also have an economic impact. JCCs provide a range of educational and community services for Jewish and non-Jewish individuals and families, with a particular focus on children and youth. The individuals who make these calls no doubt recognize that bomb threats, particularly when repeated, can compromise and even destroy a JCC’s financial future.

We urge you to approach this issue with a sense of urgency, and to work in partnership with state and territory governments, local law enforcement officials, the JCC Association, individual JCCs, and Jewish community institutions and leaders to address the threat in a holistic manner. We look forward to your response regarding the specific steps being taken to prevent and respond to this threat.

Image via Congressman John Sarbanes.