West Orange Jewish Center Gets Bomb Threat, Several More Affected: Reports

WEST ORANGE, NJ — 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 Tuesday, reports say.

The JCC MetroWest in West Orange – which announced that it was stepping up security after a previous wave of similar bomb threats on Jan. 9 - conducted an evacuation at 11:42 a.m., according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

• See related article: Essex County Jewish Center Steps Up Security After Multi-State Bomb Threats

In addition to the JCC MetroWest in West Orange, a threat was received at the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades, Tenafly, the report stated.

According to the JCC Association of North America, threats were reported to centers in several parts of the country on Tuesday, including New Jersey, Colorado, New York, Massachusetts, Wisconsin and California.

Tuesday’s bomb threats were the third such wave in a month, reports said.

“While the situation is developing, most have already received the all-clear from local law enforcement and resumed regular operations with a heightened level of security,” David Posner, director of strategic performance at JCC Association of North America said Tuesday.

• See related article: Jewish Community Centers Nationwide Receive Bomb Threats

The perpetrators have been “leveraging technologies to make mass calls,” according to Paul Goldenberg, the director of Secure Community Network, an affiliate of the Jewish Federations of North America.

Patch file photo