(RNS) At least 10 Jewish community centers across the country received bomb threats Monday (Feb. 20) in the fourth wave of such threats against these hubs of Jewish life.
That brings the total to at least 58 JCCs that have received the threats since the first round, on Jan. 9. A caller or callers, using disguised voice technology, promises bloody deaths for Jews.
The JCCs hit in this round include those in St. Paul, Minn; Birmingham, Ala.; Houston; and Whitefish Bay, Wis.
“It appears to be the same serial caller” as in the prior incidents, Paul Goldenberg, director of Secure Community Network, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. The SCN is an affiliate of the Jewish Federations of North America that consults with Jewish groups on security.
The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security are investigating the threats, which have sent chills through the communities JCCs serve. Some JCCs have seen membership drop after the first three rounds, but most have not.
READ: After bomb threats, Jewish community centers see ‘virtually no’ loss of clientele
The bomb threats occurred against a backdrop of rising anti-Semitic hate crimes in the nation and the refusal of President Trump to address the issue or to disavow the anti-Semites who say they are invigorated by his electoral victory.
