Jewish centres and schools were evacuated in at least five American states and in three London schools after a series of bomb threats were reported simultaneously on Monday.
Jewish schools across the United Kingdom were placed on alert after bomb threats were called into metro London Jewish schools in Roehampton, Ilford and Brent on Monday morning. The schools were “warned” that explosive devices had been planted on the premises. Thorough searches were conducted at all three sites and other schools were placed on precautionary lock-downs until the “all clear” was received.
Bomb threats were also called in to a few non-Jewish schools as well, according to the British Jewish Chronicle news site.
“Police were alerted at around 10:30am hrs on Monday, 9 January, to phone calls made to schools in Roehampton, Ilford and Brent in which bomb threats were made. Police officers attended the schools. All three incidents were stood down a short time later. An investigation into the threat will be conducted,” Metropolitan Police said in a statement.
Meanwhile, in the United States, bomb threats were called into Jewish Community Centers (JCC)s in Delaware, Tenafly, New Jersey; Miami Beach and Jacksonville, Florida; in Rockville, Maryland; in West Nashville, Tennessee, and Columbia, South Carolina.
In each incident, the schools and centres were evacuated and the authorities were called in. On each occasion bomb squads were called in and the premises searched before the all clear was given.
Thankfully it would appear that these were hoaxes, however, it has left a community that already feels vulnerable feeling even more so, especially since so many bomb threats were called in simultaneously.
Let us continue to pray protection over our Jewish communities in the UK and USA and for the authorities protecting them. May those who carried out this anti-Semitic prank be brought to justice.
