Dwares JCC target of bomb threat

The bomb threats targeting Jewish organizations around the United States caught up with the Dwares Jewish Community Center on Feb. 27.

At about 11 a.m., a call came into the JCC, located on the East Side of Providence. The automated call was similar to others received at JCCs around the country. Staff members who answer the phones have been schooled in how to react, and all went smoothly.

Children from the David C. Isenberg Early Childhood Center were immediately evacuated, as was the rest of the building, which includes the offices of the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island and The Jewish Voice, and the J-Fitness fitness center.

Providence police responded. The building was checked by the K-9 dog Kyra and her partner. It was declared clear after noon, according to police.

“I could not be more proud of my staff’s response, as well as the Providence police,” said Jeffrey Savit, CEO and president of the Alliance. “They worked to ensure the safety of our children and members, as well as our staff.”

Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza said in a statement, “I am deeply saddened by the hateful acts recently reported in the capital city which have targeted our Jewish community. I stand by those affected at … the Jewish Community Center and across the city, and offer my full support during these trying times.”

According to reports, at least 29 JCCs, Jewish day schools, the Anti-Defamation League in San Francisco and seven additional targets were targeted by bomb threats on Feb. 27. This was the fifth wave of threats in the last two months.

The JCC Association of North America urged federal officials to identify and capture the perpetrator or perpetrators of the hoaxes.

“Anti-Semitism of this nature should not and must not be allowed to endure in our communities,” David Posner, the director of strategic performance at the JCCA, said in a statement. “The Justice Department, Homeland Security, the FBI, and the White House, alongside Congress and local officials, must speak out – and speak out forcefully – against this scourge of anti-Semitism impacting communities across the country.

“Actions speak louder than words.”

On Feb. 28, President Donald Trump addressed the spate of bomb threats, along with attacks on Jewish cemeteries and the recent shooting of two Indian men in Kansas City, in his address to a joint session of Congress.

“Recent threats targeting Jewish community centers and vandalism of Jewish cemeteries, as well as last week’s shooting in Kansas City, remind us that while we may be a nation divided on policies, we are a country that stands united in condemning hate and evil in all of its very ugly forms,” the president said.

FRAN OSTENDORF is the editor of The Jewish Voice.