Map of bomb threats across the USA since Jan 2017VSA en Canada: een golf van reeds meer dan 100 bommeldingen bij Joodse instellingen en centra in meer dan 33 VS staten en 2 Canadese provincies sinds januari 2017 veroorzaakt grote onrust en onveiligheidsgevoel:

“Jewish center bomb threats top 100 since January” – Kids pulled from schools as fears spread

They’re supposed to be pillars of unity and peace, where both Jews and non-Jews can enjoy classes, sports and other communal activities. But more than 100 Jewish community centers have turned into targets of hate, subjected to bomb threats as fears of heightened anti-Semitism spread across the country.

The threats have reached such a crescendo that President Donald Trump used his speech to Congress on Tuesday night to address the issue. …  “This is the first time in the 60-plus years of our organization we have had a bomb threat called in. And now we’ve had three bomb threats this year,” said the CEO of a JCC in the Northeast who wished to remain anonymous for fear of copycats targeting his center. “It’s alarming.” … 


The alarm from the bomb threats, combined with the recent vandalism at Jewish cemeteries in St. Louis and in Philadelphia, have led some to see a pattern of rising anti-Semitism.
The series of bomb threats in recent weeks has disrupted day-to-day life, sparked fear in tight-knit communities, and raised questions about what the federal government is doing to find out who’s responsible. “You ask me are the feds doing enough? And I’m really not sure,” the anonymous CEO said. (CNN) http://edition.cnn.com/2017/02/28/us/bomb-threats-jewish-centers-jcc/index.html

The waves of threats
The incidents made national news when, on January 9, 15 Jewish centers and schools received bomb threats. Since then, the threats have occurred in waves, with a series of threats on January 18, January 31, February 20.
The latest wave came Monday, with another 31 threats called in to 23 JCCs and schools — bringing the total number of threats to 100.

Jewish community centers, or JCCs, function as hubs of communal activity for Jews and non-Jews alike. They host art and sports classes for children and adults, and help create connected communities.

The threats have not been limited to the Northeast, or to the United States. They have targeted 81 different locations, spread across 33 states and two Canadian provinces, according to data from the JCC Association of North America.

They are disrupting the routine and the feeling of security in the affected centers, with adults, children and infants forced to evacuate at a moment’s notice. 

But on a deeper level, the threats have functioned like terrorism, shattering the idea of safety. … http://edition.cnn.com/2017/02/28/us/bomb-threats-jewish-centers-jcc/index.html

UPDATE 24 maart 2017:

Israëlische tiener gearresteerd na reeks bommeldingen tegen joodse centra in de VS
http://www.standaard.be/cnt/dmf20170323_02795623

Jewish Israeli-US teen arrested for phoning in JCC bomb threats
After months-long undercover investigation, police and FBI say suspect, who lives in Ashkelon, used voice-altering technology to make threatening calls.

…Sources confirmed the suspect is a dual US-Israeli citizen. He was exempted from the mandatory IDF service after recruiters deemed him unfit for military service, according to the Haaretz daily. …
http://www.timesofisrael.com/jewish-israeli-teen-19-arrested-over-jcc-bomb-threats/



CNN / JCC – foto: Map of bomb threats across the USA since Jan 2017 [CNN/JCC]