Anti-Semitism
According to CNN, over the past two months more than 80 different Jewish community centers and schools have been subjected to bomb threats. In addition, hundreds of headstones in Jewish cemeteries have been toppled in St. Louis, Missouri and in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in late February, according to the conservative leaning National Review.
Jewish community centers, more commonly referred to as JCC’s, are hubs of communal activity for both Jews and non-Jews. Jewish community centers are similar to the YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association) institutes. Both offer sports, art, and classes for children and adults alike.
According to the N.E. Miles Jewish Day School’s executive director Betzy Lynch, 67% of individuals that use the Levite Jewish Centers facilities aren’t Jewish.
Recent events have provided evidence towards a rise of anti-Semitism in the United States. Anti-Semitism is defined as discrimination towards the Jewish community.
Century High School sophomore Lucas Blevins stated, “I think anti-Semitism has been on the rise for a while now but it's gotten exponentially worse in the last few months.”
These threats have occurred in waves beginning on January 9th, 2017 in which 15 Jewish community centers were threatened. The last known wave, comprising of an additional 31 threats, was on February 27th, 2017, as reported by CNN.
CNN mentioned that over 100 threats have been made towards the Jewish community. In addition to this statistic, CNN stated that the Levite Jewish community center in Birmingham, Alabama, alone, has received three bomb threats.
According to the JCC Association of North America, the threatening remarks have been tagged at 81 locations, across 33 states in the United States and two Canadian Provinces.
None of the bomb threats directed towards the Jewish community have been carried out, according to CNN.
Blevins stated, “ I think there has been a lot of hate crimes going on right now in America. It’s a form of discriminatory prejudice.”
When confronted about this issue, the White House’s spokesman Sarah Huckabee Sanders stated, “Any act of violence against the Jewish Faith is condemned by this administration.”
A more formal recognition occurred during President Trump’s Joint Address to Congress on March 1st. President Trump voiced, “Recent threats targeting Jewish community centers and vandalism of Jewish cemeteries, as well as last week's shooting in Kansas City, remind us that while we may be a nation divided on policies, we are a country that stands united in condemning hate and evil in all its very ugly forms.”
The Simon Wiesenthal Center, the Anti-Defamation League, and the Zionist organization of America, all groups fighting for Jewish rights, sent praise towards the President for his condemnation of hate towards the Jews. The Simon Wiesenthal Center calls it a “pivotal” step.
According to Oregon Local News, Liberty High School has had incidents in which swastikas, a symbol representing the Nazi party and white supremacy, have been graffitied on school property.
Oregon Local News reported that four swastikas were drawn around Liberty’s campus, one being inside a Jewish teachers classroom. The graffiti was discovered after staff and students returned to school from the Presidents Day weekend.
This event followed a protest, in which students expressed opposition towards President Trump’s immigration policies.
Though this wasn’t the first time that the symbol was present at Liberty, as Oregon Local News mentioned. Last fall, a student was caught and disciplined for drawing a swastika. Though that student isn’t responsible for this incident.
According to Century High School’s principal Martha Guise, we have had a similar incident. Ms.Guise stated, “We have had one report of a small swastika found under the main hall staircase- it was immed
iately removed, and investigated.”
One has not been seen on the walls since. There was one report of swastikas being drawn on a table in art class, though the situation has been taken care of.
Custodians check the restrooms and classrooms regularly for tagging. Any found will be documented and removed immediately.
“Century works to create a safe, accepting environment for all, and our staff, students, and administration work at that. Anti- Semitism is taken seriously, and we do not tolerate it, as we do not put up with other forms of discrimination,” stated Ms. Guise. “Hillsboro (and by extension, Century) enforce several non-discrimination and harassment policies for our staff and students, as well as our code of conduct.”
Century High School sophomore Dulce Leal stated, “I believe it is very dense for someone to have a preconceived image of a certain group with no reason. It’s even more ignorant to be hostile towards someone for their beliefs.”
The recent, alarming threats are causing reactions within the community.
According to CNN, a JCC in Orlando, Florida, which has received two bomb threats, 50 students have withdrawn from the school. CNN also mentioned a JCC in Albany, New York, where 12 families have removed their children.
These threats have disrupted routine and their sense of security.
“It's not just an issue for Jewish or Mexican people but for all minority ethnic groups. Many aren’t given a fair chance based on no reason other than negative prejudice,” claimed Leal.
The Atlantic reported that the FBI and the Justice Department are actively investigating whether the rights of Jewish community members have been violated as well as the possibility of terrorism.
The Atlantic also mentioned that earlier this month, former reporter for The Intercept, Juan Thompson, was arrested for making bomb threats towards Jewish Institutions. According to the FBI arrest warrant, the alleged perpetrator is accused for only a small portion of the threats made toward JCC’s in recent weeks. The details in the arrest warrant link him to eight threats, including one towards the Anti-Defamation League on February 22nd. The FBI claimed he made these threats to harass and intimidate a former ex-girlfriend.
The amount of individuals responsible for the threats is still undetermined. Paul Goldenberg, the national director of the Secure Communication Network said the calls are “unprecedented.” He stated that all of the threats have been made using complex voice-masking technology- it is almost impossible to determine when they were made.
According to CNN, a Jewish teenager was arrested Thursday, March 23rd in Israel in connection with the series of bomb threats towards the Jewish community. The teenager holds citizenship in both America and Israel. CNN stated he had been discovered due to an undercover FBI investigation. The FBI has confirmed the arrest.
Other details pertaining to any investigation are scarce.
In spite of this predicament, the Hillsboro School District’s spokeswoman Beth Graser reminds us, “...Treating each other with kindness and respect, regardless of whether or not you understand or agree with the other person’s struggles or perspectives, is not only important but expected.”