Joel Burgess, and John Boyle

The Citizen-Times

ASHEVILLE - The FBI will get details on a bomb threat to the Jewish Community Center reported Monday morning, a police spokeswoman said.

The center received a call about 9:30 a.m. Monday from someone saying there was a bomb at the Charlotte Street facility, said Lael Gray director of the center often called the "J.C.C."

Police were dispatched to the center, but found no suspicious items.

Bomb threats have been reported at other Jewish community centers around the country. The incidents drew a statement of condemnation from a U.S. senator.

The Asheville center has childhood education programs, including for infants and toddlers, but it was a teacher workday and there were no children present at the time. An afternoon after-school program was expected to operate on schedule. The education programs are open to community members of all faiths.

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“We did receive a bomb threat this morning. It appears that other JCCs have received these threats as well,” Executive Director Lael Gray said.

The JCC of Indianapolis was closed Monday morning after a bomb threat was reported. Other JCCs received threats as well, including Cherry Hill, N.J.; Tarrytown, New York; and an "emergency situation" was being investigated in York, Pennsylvania.

A receptionist received the call, Gray said. The director declined to give details about what was said.

There were about 40 people in the building when the center got the threat, she said.

“We were very, very well prepared for this because we know these other calls have been coming in across the country. It was a very orderly evacuation.”

Police checked both the interior and exterior of the facility, police spokeswoman Christina Hallingse said. Officers cleared the area at about 10:30 a.m.

"No suspicious items were found," Hallingse said. For that reason a bomb squad was not called, she said.

"A detailed incident report is being taken and investigation into the incident is ongoing."

Asked if the incident would be treated differently because it appeared to be part of national pattern and may have targeted a group because of religion, she said further investigation would be necessary. Meanwhile, federal agents would be contacted.

"Further investigation is required to determine if this would be classified as terrorism or a hate crime. We are completing a detailed incident report and forwarding that on to the FBI for further review," she said.

This was the first such threat to the center of which she knew, Gray said.

The director sent an email to members about what happened. She described the center's security procedures as "solid" but said police officers would be hired to provide extra security during the busiest times of day "in an abundance of caution."

She declined to talk about any political aspects of the situation.

As the calls have been happening in other places, she said the Asheville center has received "tremendous support from the community."

“To me that is a testament to how great this community is and how we stand up for our community,” Gray said.

Sen. Thom Tillis released a statement on Twitter calling the multiple bomb threats "profoundly disturbing."

"I hope federal law enforcement quickly brings the perpetrators to justice," Tillis posted. "Anti-Semitism has no place in our society. We will always be a nation that proudly cherishes the freedom of religion, where Christians, Jews, Muslims and all others are free to practice, teach, and observe their faiths.”

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