Jewish Center To Hold 'Stop The Hate' Forum In Montgomery County

ROCKVILLE, MD — Bender Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington will hold a Hate Crime Prevention Forum, presented by the U.S. Department of Justice Community Relations Service, in response to recent acts of hate and violence toward Jewish communities across the nation May 1.

Attendees at the free and open "Stop the Hate" forum will learn more about: the difference between a hate incident and a hate crime; the resources that exist at the local and national level and the roles of federal, state and local agencies in responding to and preventing hate crimes.

The panel discussion will include representatives from the U.S. Department of Justice, FBI, U.S. Attorney's Office and Chief Manger from the Montgomery County Police Department.

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Bender Jewish Community Center was one of many Jewish centers across the nation to receive bomb threats in January. About 350 people were evacuated from the building, including 200 preschoolers after the center received a bomb threat Jan. 9. The building was closed for about two hours while it was inspected and found to be all clear, officials said on Twitter.

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

In early March, Maryland Federal and State Officials and Montgomery County officials held a press conference to reaffirm the County's solidarity with the Jewish community in response to the hate acts. Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett told meeting attendees that all Montgomery County residents need to stick up for their Jewish neighbors and Jewish residents should not have to "fight this fight alone."

The forum will be held from 7-9 p.m. at the Bender Jewish Community, located at 6125 Montrose Rd. For more information about the forum, please contact Jennifer Smith at 301-348-3778 or jsmith@benderjccgw.org.

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