WASHINGTON — Several D.C.-area Jewish Day schools are among the many nationwide that received bomb threats Monday.
The Gesher Jewish Day School in Fairfax County and the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Rockville received bomb threats at about 9 a.m. Monday, police confirmed. Police from both jurisdictions said they didn’t find devices at either campus.
Around 10 a.m., there were separate threats in both the Baltimore and Annapolis areas. The Jewish Community Center of Greater Baltimore said it received a similar bomb threat at its Owings Mills campus, and Annapolis police said a bomb threat was received at Aleph Bet Jewish Day School.
“There has been an increase in threats to the Jewish community over the recent months,” said Annapolis Police Chief Maj. Scott Baker. “We take these threats seriously and we will work to identify those responsible and toward a successful prosecution.”
The JCC Association of North America says Jewish Community Centers and day schools in at least a dozen states received bomb threats Monday. No bombs were found.
It’s the fifth wave of bomb threats against Jewish Community Centers and Jewish institutions since January.
The bomb threats come after several instances of headstones being damaged at Jewish cemeteries. Last week, vandals damaged or tipped over as many as 200 headstones at a Jewish cemetery in suburban St. Louis. On Sunday, more than 100 headstones were vandalized at a Jewish cemetery in Philadelphia.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
