The threats made to the JCCs were deemed “not credible”; officials have yet to find the culprit.
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More than 50 Jewish Community Centers nationwide have received emailed bomb threats since Feb. 22, including 19 in New York state and one in Durham, North Carolina, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) reported. Michigan-based JCCs were not subject to these emails.
Brian Siegel, CEO of the JCC of Metro Detroit, sent out a written statement on Feb. 24: “We are closely monitoring the threats made to 19 JCCs across New York State, which were deemed not credible by the FBI. Please note that the safety of our members, patrons, students and employees are our first priority. We will continue to evaluate the situation as it evolves and will provide our JCC community all relevant and helpful information as it becomes available.”
JTA was informed by officials familiar with the threats that most of the JCCs received identical emails containing bomb threats. The emails did not mention the specific institutions in question or contained anti-Semitic language.
The threats have been deemed not credible, yet local law enforcement agencies were still notified. Officials have yet to identify who sent the threats.
The JCC of Greater Ann Arbor could not be reached for comment.