Natalie Neysa Alund, Holly Meyer, and Adam Tamburin

The Tennessean

Nashville's Jewish community center was evacuated Monday morning after a bomb threat, a scene that became familiar as a series of similar threats were reported in at least four other states and the United Kingdom.

The threat in Nashville came in via telephone to a staff member at the Gordon Jewish Community Center around 10:30 a.m., according to police. About 100 people inside the building at the time were evacuated, said Leslie Sax, the center's director.



Police determined the threat was a hoax and allowed people to return inside around 12:20 p.m., after sweeping the building as part of an ongoing investigation. As the investigation continued, representatives with multiple federal agencies said they were prepared to work with police if necessary.

The threat in Nashville occurred around the same time as threats reported at Jewish community centers in Florida, South Carolina, Maryland and Delaware. In London, the Jewish Chronicle reported threatening phone calls were made to multiple schools.

On Monday afternoon, the JCC Association of North America said all of the threatened centers in the U.S. had been cleared. Authorities said there was no initial link found between the threats.

Mark S. Freedman, executive director of the Jewish Federation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee, praised the speedy reaction of police and other community members here. He noted that people of many different faiths come to the JCC for a wide range of activities.

“This is a threat against the entire community,” he said. “Everyone should be aware of that.”

Those kinds of threats have a corrosive effect, Freedman said, even if they turn out to be hoaxes.

“It’s another form of terrorism. It’s harassment," he said. "Unfortunately we’re not in a position at any time to think that a threat might not be real.”

Monday's threats came in the midst of a surge in anti-Semetic activity. FBI statistics released in November show a 9 percent increase in anti-Semetic crimes between 2014 and 2015.

Hate crimes against other groups are on the rise as well. The trend represents "a virtual log jam of extremism targeting whole groups of people," said Brian Levin, the director of the director of the Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino.

“Our center believes the Jewish community is elevated on that threat level – along with Muslims,” Levin said.

It’s hard to say why this is happening – there are many potential factors, Levin said – but he said political and social leaders could play a role in blunting the rise in hate crimes.

“We need leadership to condemn anti-Semitism and to condemn those who try to enter mainstream legitimacy while expressing anti-Semitism,” he said. “That goes for any prejudice.”

Reach Natalie Neysa at 615-259-8072 and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.