JCC Threats: 6 Centers Targeted Sunday In Latest Wave

At total of six Jewish Community Centers were targeted by threats on Sunday, according to the JCC Association of North America.

The JCC in Rochester, New York, the JCC in Milwaukee and the JCC in Indianapolis, were among the centers that received threats on Sunday. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has already ordered state police to coordinate with local and federal law enforcement to investigate the bomb threat called in to the JCC in Rochester.

"Like all New Yorkers, I am profoundly disturbed and disgusted by the continued threats against the Jewish community in New York," Cuomo said in a statement.

The all-clear was given to the JCC in Indianapolis after nothing suspicious was found following the bomb threat, police said. The JCC in Milwaukee was closed due to an email threat Sunday but the center later announced that it would fully reopen around 12 p.m. central time. The center in Indianapolis had previously received a threat on Feb. 27 while the JCC in Rochester and the JCC in Milwaukee had most recently received threats on March 7.

According to the JCC Association, centers in Houston and Chicago also received threats. Another JCC, in Vancouver, Canada, also received a threat. The JCC in Houston previously received a threat Feb. 20.

New York Sen. Chuck Schumer called the threat to the JCC in Rochester "despicable," in a tweet. In a follow-up post, he said those calling in threats to the JCC in Rochester and across the country must be brought to justice.

The pattern of threats being called in to Jewish community centers and day schools has prompted pleas to law enforcement to investigate. More than a 100 threats have been called into Jewish institutions since January. On Wednesday, all 100 U.S. senators signed on to a bipartisan plea urging federal law enforcement officials to take action and said that they be informed of further actions the officials plan to take to address security.

JCC leaders also wrote a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions urging immediate action to advance the investigation into the JCC threats.

“We are frustrated with the progress in resolving this situation,” the letter read in part. “We insist that all relevant federal agencies, including your own, apply all the resources available to identify and bring the perpetrator or perpetrators, who are trying to instill anxiety and fear in communities across the country, to justice.”

Sunday's threats came on the same weekend that the Jewish community celebrates the festival of Purim.

So far, authorities have arrested a Missouri man who they connected to at least eight of the threats. The man, Juan Thompson, a disgraced former journalist was making the threats to harass and intimidate an ex-girlfriend, federal authorities alleged. The charge was brought against Thompson by the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, whose lead prosecutor, Preet Bharara, was fired Saturday by the Department of Justice after he refused to submit his resignation when asked.

Patch will update this report if we hear of more Jewish centers receiving threats on Sunday.

Image via Indianapolis Police