(JLNJ Staff) On Tuesday morning, at least 17 Jewish community centers in at least 11 states across the United States received threatening phone calls in the third wave of such threats to JCCs over the past month. Among the centers that were targeted this week were the JCC MetroWest in West Orange, NJ, Kaplen JCC on the Palisades in Tenafly, NJ, the JCC in New Haven, CT, JCCs in Syracuse and Albany, NY, the JCC in Boulder, CO, and others in Milwaukee, San Diego and Salt Lake City. All the centers immediately implemented established security protocols and coordinated with local law enforcement and, in all cases, no explosives were found and the threats were determined to be non-credible.

Earlier this month, 16 Jewish community centers in nine states were evacuated, and on January 18, another 27 centers in 17 states were evacuated, all after receiving similar telephoned bomb threats that were ultimately found not to be credible.

The FBI is currently investigating possible civil rights violations in connection with these threats.