JCCMW Students Evacuated to SVAC Headquarters After Bomb Threat on Monday Morning

Approximately 200 students and teachers were evacuated from the JCC of Mid-Westchester on Monday February 27 at about 11 am after the JCC received a bomb threat.

The Scarsdale Police Department escorted children and teachers from the JCCMW to the headquarters of the Scarsdale Village Ambulance Corps as they walked up Wilmot Road to Weaver Street.

The nursery school students and teachers were brought to the SVAC basement where attendance was taken to ensure that everyone was accounted for and the Scarsdale Police Department stationed an officer outside.

SVAC provided Gatorade, water, and snacks to all who had relocated. Blankets were also provided as some of the children came straight out of the classroom with no jackets.

Parents who showed up to pick up their children at SVAC were asked to wait outside and the JCC staff brought each child out to their parent. The entire situation lasted about two hours.

According to SVAC President David Raizen, "Everything went very smoothly. SVAC arranged this protocol years ago and has a contract in place with the JCC for liability limiting purposes.

The threat to the JCCMW appears to be part of a series of simiilar threats at 29 Jewish Community Centers that occured across the country on Monday February 27.

Karen Kolodny Executive Director of the JCCMW sent the following email to the community on Monday afternoon:

Dear Members of our JCC Family:

As has happened to JCC's all over the country, our JCC received a threatening phone call at 10:45 this morning. Our staff responded and based on our protocols we contacted the police and evacuated the building. Everyone remained safe while the police swept the building. No bomb was located and we re-opened as usual for afternoon and evening activities.

We are proud of our staff and of all the patrons who were on the premises at the time for their cooperation and are grateful for the support from local law enforcement. The JCC takes any and all threats seriously and will continue to be vigilant in implementing our security measures to ensure we remain a safe place for all who attend.

We have now resumed all normal activities in our building and we look forward to continuing our mission to serve the community as we have for over 60 years.

State Assemblywoman Amy Paulin issued the following statement in response to the threat:

"The bomb threat at the Jewish Community Center of Mid-Westchester hits home to me, because it is the center my family and I frequently use," Assemblywoman Amy Paulin (D-88) said. "Yet every act or threat of hatred hits home to someone, and therefore hits home to everyone who stands for inclusion, for justice, and human values. As elected officials and community leaders we must speak out, and speak out loudly, so that people who deal in threats, violence and hatred understand they will never win and that humanity and decency always will."

County Executive Rob Astorino resolved to work with officials to root out those who were responsible. He said, ""The bomb threats made today against two Jewish community centers in Westchester are hate crimes that will not be tolerated in our county. We will not stand silent in the face of anti-Semitic acts or any other bias crimes. I join with all people of good will in condemning the bomb threats that occurred here and around the country. I have directed our Department of Public Safety to work with federal and local law enforcement agencies in every way possible to bring those responsible to justice."

The Westchester Jewish Council also condemned the threats, saying,

"Today, the JCC of Mid-Westchester and The Shames JCC on the Hudson received threatening phone calls - the same calls as many JCCs and Jewish day schools around the country have received in the past month. Thus far, in all cases, these threats have proved to be baseless.

"The Westchester Jewish Council condemns these heinous acts of anti-Semitism and hate which impact all of Westchester and especially our Jewish community. We commend our member organizations for their swift response using established safety protocols to ensure the safety of all patrons," said Paul Warhit, President, Westchester Jewish Council. "We take these threats seriously, and are grateful to our Westchester elected officials and law enforcement personnel for their swift attention to this matter. By working together, we will apprehend those responsible for spreading hatred across our country and county."

Warhit continued, "We would also like to thank our fellow Westchester residents from all ethnic and religious background who have stepped up to show their support in fighting anti-Semitism, bias crime, terror and hatred. We look forward to continuing to stand side by side with all our neighbors in making Westchester a free and inclusive county. Finally, we want to thank the Westchester Jewish Council security committee and security roundtable, chaired by Harry Mamaysky and Elizabeth Lampert for all their efforts and hard work to ensure our community is fully aware of and prepared for these kinds of acts. We also thank our main funder, UJA-Federation of New York, for their financial support of this initiative."

Congressman Eliot Engel said, ""Whether it is the JCC-Mid Westchester in Scarsdale or JCC on the Hudson in Tarrytown, or the Jewish cemetery in Pennsylvania or Missouri or anywhere across this country, we must be vigilant. We must be unified. We must take an uncompromising stand against this horrific hatred. Such attacks cannot—and will not—be swept under the rug. I offer my full support to local and federal authorities to bring all those responsible for these horrific attacks to justice. I stand in solidarity with the Jewish community during these trying times and reaffirm my commitment to ensure hatred and bigotry have no place in my community and our country."