New York, NY, January 31, 2017...The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is organizing local security trainings in partnership with the FBI in the wake of a series of bomb threats against Jewish Community Centers, including a new wave of threats earlier today targeting communal institutions in at least eight states.
While so far no bombs have been found in any of the threats, ADL has been closely monitoring the situation and has been in regular contact with federal and local law enforcement agencies across the country.
In a third wave of such incidents targeting JCCs, a series of apparently coordinated bomb threats were reported earlier today in California, Colorado, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, New Mexico, Utah and Wisconsin, adding to at least 30 previous threats called in to JCCs earlier this month.
“Unfortunately, threats like this are nothing new for the Jewish community,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO. “Still, it is vitally important to take these threats seriously and to ensure that every institution is prepared to respond to this type of security emergency. That is why we are partnering with the FBI, local institutions and law enforcement to ensure that all of our community institutions are safe and secure.”
Last week, ADL organized a joint security briefing in partnership with the FBI. Nearly 700 representatives of Jewish community institutions participated in the call, which provided expertise, tips and resources to the Jewish Federations of North America, Jewish Community Centers, Chabad, the Orthodox Union, the North American Association of Synagogue Executives, the National Association for Temple Administration, Campus Hillels, and other Jewish communal institutions from across the country.
In addition to security preparedness trainings, ADL regional offices have been sharing security resources, including its security manual Protecting Your Jewish Institution, to help communities prepare for and respond to potential threats.
The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.