Jewish Solidarity After Bomb Threats To Be Reaffirmed By Leaders

ROCKVILLE, MD — Maryland Federal and State Officials and Montgomery County officials will hold a press conference Friday to reaffirm the County's solidarity with the Jewish community in response to recent acts of hate and violence toward Jewish communities across the nation.

Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett, the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, and the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington will be joined by U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen; Representatives John Sarbanes, John Delaney, and Jamie Raskin; and various other State and Montgomery County Government officials at 10 a.m. Friday at the Bender Jewish Community Center.

“We want to make sure that our Jewish community knows they are valued and respected,” Leggett said. “They are an integral part of our County’s celebrated, diverse makeup.”

More than a dozen Jewish Community Centers (JCCs) and several Jewish day schools across the country were targeted by threats on Monday, the fifth time this year a series of such threats have been reported at Jewish institutions.

See Related: JCC Threats: More Than A Dozen Jewish Institutions Targeted Monday, Annapolis Jewish Day School Target Of Bomb Threat: Police, Bomb Threat Against Rockville Jewish School Investigated

The threats were reported to 13 JCCs and eight Jewish day schools in Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Virginia, according to the JCC of Northern America.

Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Rockville was one of the institutions that received a bomb threat Monday.

Montgomery County Police spokesman Rick Goodale said the report was made at 9:37 a.m. and officers swept the school but found nothing. He told Montgomery Community Media that investigators are trying to determine where the call, which may have been a pre-recorded message, originated.

Congressman Jamie Raskin said via Twitter that he was appalled by the threats. "The bomb threats against Jewish schools, daycares, & worship centers across the country must stop. @POTUS must take action," Raskin tweeted.

Similarly, a Jewish school in Annapolis also received a bomb threat Monday. Annapolis Police said the threat, called in at 9:44 a.m. toward Aleph Bet Jewish Day School in the 1100 block of Spa Road, was unfounded.

“There has been an increase in threats to the Jewish community over the recent months,” said acting police chief Major Scott Baker in a statement. “We take these threats seriously and we will work to identify those responsible and toward a successful prosecution.”

Employees at the school told police they received a phone call indicating there was an explosive device placed inside the school. Officers responded and all the children and staff were successfully evacuated from the building.

The Annapolis Fire Department’s Bomb Squad responded; officers and K-9 units checked the building and no explosive device was found. The Anne Arundel County Sheriff’s Office K-9 units assisted in the search.

The JCC Association of North America issued the following statement in response to the threats:

“Anti-Semitism of this nature should not and must not be allowed to endure in our communities. The Justice Department, Homeland Security, the FBI, and the White House, alongside Congress and local officials, must speak out – and speak out forcefully – against this scourge of anti-Semitism impacting communities across the country.

“Actions speak louder than words. Members of our community must see swift and concerted action from federal officials to identify and capture the perpetrator or perpetrators who are trying to instill anxiety and fear in our communities.

“We remain grateful to local law enforcement who continue to serve our communities and ensure that our JCCs and schools remain safe and open for business as the vital community institutions they are.”

The threats come just a day after a Jewish cemetery in Philadelphia was vandalized. Earlier this month, an anonymous bomb threat was called into the ADL's national headquarters in Manhattan.

This is the fifth wave of threats targeting Jewish centers.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer said President Donald Trump continues to condemn any form of anti-semitic acts.

JUST IN: White House: Pres. Trump "disappointed and concerned" by vandalism at Jewish cemeteries, threats to JCCs. https://t.co/Ks9Fkg20qx — NBC Nightly News (@NBCNightlyNews) February 27, 2017

The ADL issued a security advisory to Jewish institutions nationwide. By the organization's count, approximately 90 bomb threats have been called into Jewish institutions since the beginning of 2017.

Friday's press conference will be held at the Bender Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington at 6125 Montrose Rd. in Rockville.

Additional reporting from Patch Editors Feroze Dhanoa and Deb Belt

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