Editor’s note: This story was updated to reflect a second bomb threat.
The Katz Jewish Community Center in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, received bomb threats both Tuesday and Wednesday morning and was safely evacuated each time, the JCC said via a news release.
After the building was evacuated, it was searched by the Cherry Hill Police Department and other law enforcement agencies. It reopened at 1 p.m. on Wednesday
“This morning the JCC received a bomb threat, and we immediately implemented our security protocols and the staff evacuated the building,” Katz JCC Director Oded Kraus said after the first bomb threat. “The safety and security of all our members and staff are our top priority.”
Law enforcement was on the scene without minutes each time, including the county’s K-9 unit.
“While we are relieved that this threat was unfounded, we are concerned about the
antisemitism behind these threats, and the repetition of threats intended to interfere with day-to-day life,” Jennifer Dubrow Weiss, CEO of Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey, said after the first incident. “Our Jewish Federation and family of agencies serve not just the Jewish community, but the entire community.”