Support Grows For West Orange Jewish Center After National Wave Of Threats

WEST ORANGE, NJ — The Jewish Community Center (JCC) in West Orange has stepped up security in the wake of repeated, nationwide bomb threats, prompting several local officials to issue statements of support in light of yet another such wave of threats on Monday, reports say.

More than a dozen Jewish Community Centers 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.

Monday’s threats were reported at 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.

• See related article: JCC Threats: More Than A Dozen Jewish Institutions Targeted

West Orange Mayor Robert Parisi issued the following statement in the wake of Monday’s threats.

“The township is disheartened by the numerous bomb threats and other acts of hate aimed at Jewish Community Centers across the country. We are relieved that most of these incidents, including a recent threat to our local JCC, have proven unfounded.”

Parisi continued:

“The JCC is a big part of the West Orange community. We are an accepting and inclusive township and pride ourselves on our diversity. We reject such hurtful, bigoted antics as well as other acts of hostility, such as anti-Semitic graffiti discovered under a bridge at the reservation in neighboring South Orange on Monday.”

Parisi concluded:

“We take such hate crimes seriously and will not allow such actions to interfere with daily life in our township. The West Orange Police Department will continue to work diligently with the JCC to protect its patrons and we encourage any residents with information about these attacks, or any threats to this community, to contact the Police Department at 973-325-4000 or the Mayor's Office at 973-325-4100.”

State Senator Richard Codey and State Assembly members John McKeon and Mila Jasey issued the following joint statement on Tuesday about the bomb threats.

“The recent spike in bomb threats at Jewish Community Centers (JCCs), along with the desecration of Jewish cemeteries, amount to nothing less than an attack on every American and every religion of the world. These incidents, coupled with the recent shootings of Indian-Americans in Kansas and many other notable hate crimes, are signs that this is a time for every American, especially those in a position of power, to speak up loud and clear against such actions.”

The statement continued:

“The JCC MetroWest in West Orange, right in our community, faced a bomb threat recently. The response we saw was the essence of humanity: the Christian church nearby offered refuge to the children of the JCC’s pre-school so they did not have to stand out in the cold rain as the building was being secured. These types of selfless actions of humanity should give all of us hope that the radical and disgusting actions of the very few will do nothing more than bring us all closer together.”

The Jewish Community Center (JCC) MetroWest in West Orange was one of more than a dozen such centers nationwide to receive a bomb threat on Jan. 31, reports said.

In response to the bomb threats, staff at the JCC MetroWest in West Orange told their members that they enacted “enhanced security” measures, including moving a guard post to a more visible location, rotating guards on patrol and installing brighter lighting in the garage.

• See related article: West Orange Jewish Center Gets Bomb Threat, Several More Affected

According to a statement from his office, U.S. Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen wrote to Attorney General Jeff Sessions urging that the Department of Justice and FBI quickly “prosecute the perpetrators” of recent anonymous bomb threats.

"This nation was built on the foundation of religious tolerance. Anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry are shameful and must end," Frelinghuysen stated.

‘DISGUSTING’ GRAFFITI

The same day as the latest wave of bomb threats took place, a proliferation of anti-Semitic graffiti near South Mountain Reservation prompted local authorities to label the incident as a “disgusting” and “senseless” act that has no place in their community.

Captured in widely circulated photos being shared on social media, the expletive-laden, multi-colored graffiti covered a large portion of the pedestrian bridge that crosses South Orange Avenue at Essex County’s South Mountain Reservation.

The reservation is located in Maplewood, Millburn and West Orange, and borders South Orange.

• See related article: ‘Disgusting’ Swastika Graffiti Appears At South Mountain Reservation

Photo: Google Maps

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