Jewish School, JCC Reopened After Bomb Threat
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Hundreds of children and staff evacuated the Posnack School and Jewish Community center in Davie on Monday, after a bomb threat was called in at about 9:20 AM.
The school immediately sent out a blast tweet saying, "Attention: David Posnack Jewish day school received a bomb threat and both the day school and the JCC have safely evacuated."
The school also sent out blast emails and phone calls. Parent David Lopate used two words to describe it.
"It's terrifying," Lopate said.
He was not alone.
"I was scared and afraid. It was like nervousness," said Jacob SVI, a student at the school.
There was a meticulous search that found no bomb. The all clear was sounded after about two hours.
"This is not a credible threat. I think most of the public knows that this has been going on around the country for the last month or so," said Davie police Maj. Dale Engle.
There were bomb threats aimed at Jewish centers in 16 cities across the country Monday. CBS News reports that law enforcement believes it is a coordinated effort, involving individuals and robocalls.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) reports there have been more than the seventy bomb threats aimed at Jewish facilities across the nation since the first of the year.
A Jewish cemetery in Philadelphia was desecrated on Sunday, with more than 100 headstones overturned.
On Miami Beach over the weekend, swastikas were etched on several cars.
The ADL issued a statement saying, "We condemn and are outraged that hate and anti-Semitism continue to target our community."
Related: Rep. Wasserman Schultz Pledges To Combat Antisemitism In South Florida
In Davie, one evacuated student worried that the next time might not be a hoax.
"It was a little scary to be honest," she said. "I know the risk of going to a Jewish school."
Following the incident, the JCC Association of North America issued a statement expressing their "outrage" on the new rash of bomb threats, saying:
"Anti-Semitism of this nature should not and must not be allowed to endure in our communities. The Justice Department, Homeland Security, the FBI, and the White House, alongside Congress and local officials, must speak out – and speak out forcefully – against this scourge of anti-Semitism impacting communities across the country.
"Actions speak louder than words. Members of our community must see swift and concerted action from federal officials to identify and capture the perpetrator or perpetrators who are trying to instill anxiety and fear in our communities.
"We remain grateful to local law enforcement who continue to serve our communities and ensure that our JCCs and schools remain safe and open for business as the vital community institutions they are."
Local and federal law-enforcement agencies vow to vigorously pursue and prosecute those behind the bomb threats and other acts of hate.
"We take these things very seriously," said Davie Police Maj. Engle.