Park Heights Jewish Community Center Evacuated After Threat

BALTIMORE, MD — Jewish community centers in various parts of the country received phone threats on Monday, among them one in Park Heights.

The Jewish Community Center in the 5700 block of Park Heights Avenue received a bomb threat midday Monday, according to a statement from Jewish Community Center of Greater Baltimore leadership.

"Once the threat was received, our staff followed practiced protocol and immediately evacuated all members and preschoolers from the building," CEO Barak Hermann and Board Chair Annette Saxon said.

The building reportedly opened at 2:30 p.m. after a sweep by the Baltimore Police Department.

Officials with the Jewish Community Center of Greater Baltimore said that the Park Heights facility was one of 15 Jewish Community Centers on the east coast that received bomb threats.

The Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington in Rockville; the Gordon Jewish Community Center in Nashville, Tennessee; the Jewish Community Centers in Columbia S.C., New Castle County, Delaware, and two JCCs in the Miami area were also evacuated after receiving bomb threat calls.

There were no known links among the threats as of early Monday afternoon.

Patch editors Deb Belt and J.R. Lind contributed to this article.

The Jewish Community Center of Greater Baltimore provided the following statement Monday, Jan. 9:

SECURITY UPDATE

Monday, January 9, 2017
Dear JCC Members and Friends,

Today around midday, the Weinberg Park Heights JCC and numerous other Jewish Community Centers along the east coast received bomb threats.

Once the threat was received our staff followed practiced protocol and immediately evacuated all members and preschoolers from the building. After a careful sweep of the building by Baltimore City Police our building reopened at 2:30pm.

While these threats are being investigated, we want to assure you that we continue to take numerous security measures to ensure the safety of our members. Your security is of the utmost importance to us. Please note other JCCs have been cleared to resume business as usual.

This is a good time to remind everyone that if you see something, say something. Please alert a staff person or guard if you see anything suspicious, including unattended bags, in our buildings....

B'Shalom,
Barak Hermann, CEO, JCC of Greater Baltimore
Annette Saxon, Board Chair

Patch file photo.