US Jewish Institutions Increasingly Targeted by Violent Threats - CEO

Bender Jewish Community Center CEO Michael Feinstein claims that leaders in the US Jewish community are seeing a discouraging trend in the violent targeting of Hebrew institutions evidenced by Monday’s series of bomb threats.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Leaders in the US Jewish community are seeing a discouraging trend in the violent targeting of Hebrew institutions evidenced by Monday’s series of bomb threats, Bender Jewish Community Center (JCC) CEO Michael Feinstein told Sputnik.

“We were ‘lucky’ to be one of 16 JCC’s in nine states to receive bomb threats,” Feinstein said of his facility located in a Washington, DC suburb. “I think we’re seeing a trend of targeting Jewish intuitions in general. [A] very discouraging trend.”

The US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) public affairs specialist Amanda Hils told Sputnik that they were aware of the bomb threats.

“ATF field divisions across the nation are ready and available to provide technical assistance to our local and state law enforcement partners, should they need or request it,” Hils noted.

JCC were targeted with bomb threats on Monday in the states of Maryland, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida, Delaware, Georgia, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.