ADL Issues Security Advisory to Jewish Institutions Nationwide in Wake of 5th Wave of Bomb Threats in Recent Weeks

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has issued a Security Advisory to Jewish institutions across the country following a new wave of bomb threats to Jewish Community Centers (JCCs) and day schools in several states.

The latest round of threats has struck at least 12 states, including Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Virginia. This is the fifth wave of threats that has been called into JCCs in recent weeks. ADL has tallied at least 20 threats today and approximately 90 bomb threats to Jewish institutions since the beginning of 2017.

“While this latest round of bomb threats to Jewish Community Centers and day schools across the country again appears to not be credible, we are nonetheless urging all Jewish institutions to review their procedures,” said Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL CEO. “Since the start of 2017, we have witnessed nearly 90 bomb threats being called into JCCs – including one recently to ADL’s national headquarters.

“We are taking this very seriously and will continue to work intimately with federal and local law enforcement – in addition to our community partners across the country — as they cope during this difficult time,” Mr. Greenblatt said. “Unfortunately, bomb threats are not the only manifestation of anti-Semitism in recent weeks as we have seen Jewish cemetery desecrations strike St. Louis and Philadelphia.”

In response to the threats, ADL’s Security Advisory included several action steps:

Review the Bomb Threat Guidance provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Department of Homeland Security;

Refer to the chapter on Explosive Threat Response Planning in ADL’s Security Manual Protecting Your Jewish Institution, which assists Jewish institutions in creating welcoming environments while keeping them safe;

Refer to ADL’s list of 18 Best Practices for Jewish Institutional Security.

In January, ADL announced the convening of local security trainings in partnership with the FBI after bomb threats were called into JCCs during the end of that month.