March

8, 2017

Attorney General Jeff Sessions
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001

Dear Attorney General Sessions:

Since the beginning of January, Jewish Community Centers, schools and other
Jewish institutions in more than 30 states have been threatened over 100 times,
forcing evacuations and bomb searches, and creating disruption and fear. While
we are relieved that no one has been hurt, and all calls have been hoaxes, anti-
Semitism of this nature should not, and must not, be allowed to endure in our
communities or to metastasize into something worse.

President Trump forcefully condemned the situation at the outset of a speech to
Congress, DHS has promised heightened support to JCCs through its protective
security advisors, and our leadership had the chance to meet with FBI Director
Comey.

Still, we are frustrated with the progress in resolving this situation. We insist that
all relevant federal agencies, including your own, apply all the resources available
to identify and bring the perpetrator or perpetrators, who are trying to instill
anxiety and fear in communities across the country, to justice.

Representing the millions of Americans both Jewish and non-Jewish who rely
on Jewish Community Centers for early childhood education, senior
programming, afterschool and teen activities, safe places for community
discussion, and a variety of recreational, fitness, cultural and educational
activities, we, leaders of JCCs across the continent and of JCC Association of North
America, ask that you meet with us to discuss specific steps that will be taken to
deter further threats, discuss security needs, and seek justice.

Local law enforcement have represented a beacon of responsiveness and
professionalism as our communities have endured dozens of anti-Semitic threats
in past weeks. We respectfully ask that federal agencies, including your own, do
the same.

Our nations JCCs are vibrant community gathering places, not just for the Jewish






Our nations JCCs are vibrant community gathering places, not just for the Jewish Americans who
founded them, but also for many members of the wider public. More than two million people pass
through our doors each year to take part in our programs, and the JCC Movement has been a part of
North Americas landscape for the last century. As we celebrate our centennial, we draw strength from
our mission to enhance not only Jewish life, but also community life as a whole, and we will not allow
anti-Semitism to get in our way. But the Justice Department, alongside fellow federal and local
agencies and officials, and Congress, have a responsibility to speak out and speak out forcefully
against the threats impacting communities across the country.

The potential ripple effect of these threats locally and nationally cannot be understated.

We respectfully request a meeting with you as soon as possible. We know that you will want to treat
this case with the utmost urgency it deserves.

Please follow up with Doron Krakow, president and CEO, JCC Association of North America. He can be
reached at 212-786-5096 or dkrakow@jcca.org.

Signed,

Doron Krakow Stephen P. Seiden
President & CEO Chair


JCC Association of North America
Board of Directors

Alvin Berkun
Pittsburgh, PA Donald Brodsky
Houston, TX
Kara Bierman
Memphis, TN Alex Budnitsky
Brooklyn, NY
Harriet Blank
Bridgewater Cheryl Fishbein
NJ Brooklyn, NY

Lisa Brill Richard Frankoff
Dunwoody, GA Las Vegas, NV




Jane Gellman
Milwaukee, WI Edward Schreiber
Houston, TX
Michael Gildenhorn
Rockville, MD Mark Shapiro
Milwaukee, WI
Felicia Gottdenker
Rockville, MD Paula Sidman
Newton, MA
Stuart Hochwert
Chicago, IL Shirley Solomon
Boca Raton, FL
Ann Kaufman
Houston, TX Alan Solow
Chicago, IL
Stephen Kaufman
Houston, TX Kenneth Steinberg
Memphis, TN
Josh Langenthal
Berkeley, CA Susan Strait
Milwaukee, WI
Ronald Leibow
Los Angeles, CA J oan Swartz
Austin, TX
Judith Lieberman
West Orange, NJ Francine Trachtenberg
Washington, DC
Jerome Makowsky
Memphis, TN Suzanne Albin Tucker
Scotch Plains, NJ
Thomas Mandel
Akron, OH Jeffrey Tuvlin,
Louisville, KY
Adrienne Matros
Irvine, CA David Wax
La Jolla, CA
Richard Nelson
Toronto, CN
Jewish Community Center and JCC Camp
Marvin Pertzik Executive Directors and CEOs
St Paul, MN
Barry Abels, Executive Director
Stephen Reiner
Katie and Irwin Kahn Jewish Community Center
Brooklyn, NY
Columbia, SC


Amy Rosenberg Steven Albert, Executive Director
Davie, FL Mittleman JCC
Portland, OR
Jane Tzinberg Rubin
St Louis, MO Andrea Alcabes, Executive Director

I.J. & Jeanne Wagner JCC
Linda Russin
Salt Lake City, UT
West Nyack, NY



Joel Berger
Executive Director Les Cohen, Executive Director
Rosen JCC Betty & Milton Katz JCC
Orlando, FL Cherry Hill, NJ

Daniel Bernstein, President/CEO Randy Colman, Executive Director
Merage JCC of Orange County Adolph and Rose Levis JCC
Irvine, CA Boca Raton, FL

Michael Beyo, Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Dannick, Executive Director
East Valley JCC JCC of Northern Virginia
Chandler Fairfax, VA
AZ
Judy Diamondstein, CEO
Peter Blair Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven
Chief Executive Officer New Haven, CT
Sandra and Leon Levine Jewish Community Center
Charlotte, NC Joel Dinkin, Executive Vice President
Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center
Joel Block, Executive Director Houston, TX
Marion & Aaron Gural JCC
Cedarhurst, NY Keith Dvorchik, Chief Executive Officer
The Roth Family JCC of Greater Orlando
Zack Bodner Maitland, FL
CEO, Oshman Family JCC
Palo Alto, CA Steve Engel, Chief Executive Officer
Fresh Air Society / Tamarack Camps
Gary Bomzer Bloomfield Hills, MI
President/CEO
Michael-Ann Russell JCC Martin Englisher
North Miami Beach, FL Executive Vice President & CEO
YM & YWHA of Washington Heights & Inwood
Sheryl Brumer New York, NY
Executive Director
JCC of Binghamton Michael Feinstein, Chief Executive Officer
Binghamton, NY Bender JCC of Greater Washington
Rockville, MD
Alex Budnitsky, CEO/Executive Director
Edith & Carl Marks JCH of Bensonhurst Leslie Fischman, Executive Director
Brooklyn, NY New Orleans JCC
New Orleans, LA
Daniel Cardonick, Executive Director
Scranton JCC Marc Fisher, Chief Executive Officer
Scranton, PA Mayerson JCC
Cincinnati, OH
Joni Center
Executive Director Myron Flagler, Executive Director
Barry & Florence Friedberg JCC Jewish Community Alliance of Jacksonville
Oceanside, NY Jacksonville, FL

Adam Chaskin, Executive Director Carol Folkerth, Executive Director
Sidney Albert Albany JCC The Jewish Community Center of Greater Columbus
Albany, NY Columbus, OH





Deann Forman, Chief Executive Officer Emily Holdstein, Executive Director
Riverdale YM-YWHA Worcester JCC
Bronx, NY Worcester, MA

Jack Fox, CEO Michael Hyman, President and CEO
Milton & Betty Katz JCC Mandel JCC of Cleveland
Margate City, NJ Beachwood, OH

Sue Fox, Executive Director Ira Jaffee, CEO
Shorefront YM-YWHA of Brighton Manhattan Beach JCC of Indianapolis
Brooklyn, NY Indianapolis, IN

Laura Friedman, Executive Director David Kirschtel, Chief Executive Officer
Shimon and Sara Birnbaum JCC JCC Rockland
Bridgewater, NJ West Nyack, NY

Cathy Gardner Sara Klein Wagner
CEO/Executive Vice President President and CEO, JCC of Louisville
Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton Louisville, KY
Marjorie and Oscar Boonshoft
Center for Jewish Culture and Education Eric Koehler
Dayton, OH Chief Executive Officer
JCC of Stamford, Stamford, CT
Paul Geduldig, CEO
Peninsula JCC Stefanie Kostenblatt, Program Director
Foster City, CA Newburgh JCC
Newburgh, NY
Lael Gray, Executive Director
Asheville JCC Amy Krulik, CEO
Asheville, NC Kaiserman JCC
Wynnewood, PA
Rob Greenberger
CEO, Suffolk Y JCC Amy Lavin, CEO
Commack, NY Stroum Jewish Community Center
Mercer Island, WA
Brian Greene, Executive Director
Westside JCC Abby Leipsner, Chief Executive Officer
Los Angeles, CA Bergen County JCC
Township of Washington, NJ
Ivy Harlev, Executive Director
Siegel JCC Jonathan Lev, Executive Director
Wilmington, DE Boulder JCC
Boulder, CO
Frank Hassid, Executive Director
Harold and Elaine Shames JCC on the Hudson Saul Levenshus, President/CEO
Tarrytown, NY Barshop JCC of San Antonio
San Antonio, TX
Barak Hermann, President
JCC of Greater Baltimore Joy Levitt, Executive Director
Owings Mills, MD JCC in Manhattan
New York, NY


Jeffrey Rembrandt, Executive Director
The Jewish Community Center of the Lehigh Valley
Rick Lewis, Chief Executive Officer Allentown, PA
Mid-Island Y JCC
Plainview, NY Todd Rockoff, CEO/President
Tucson JCC
Tucson, AZ
Gary Lipman, Chief Executive Officer

Sephardic Community Center
Leah Ronen, Executive Director
Brooklyn, NY
Augusta Jewish Community Center

Augusta, GA
Jill Madsen, CEO Jewish Federation, JCC Executive

Charlotte & Dick Levin JCC

Durham, NC


Jennifer Ross, President/CEO
Jennifer Mamlet, Executive Director
Jewish Federation of Greater Harrisburg
JCC of Central NJ
Harrisburg, PA
Scotch Plains, NJ


Alan Sataloff, General Director/CEO
Howard Martin, CEO
JCC Chicago
Bronx House
Chicago, IL
Bronx, NY


Jeffrey Savit, Alliance President & CEO
Jeri Mendelsohn, CEO
Dwares JCC of the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island
Samuel Field YM & YWHA
Providence, RI
Little Neck, NY


Leslie Sax, Executive Director
Ellie Miller
Gordon JCC
Executive Director
Nashville, TN
Jewish Community Alliance

Portland, ME
Matthew Scarpato, Interim Executive Director/CFO

York JCC
Adam Organ, JCC Director
York, PA
Raleigh-Cary JCC

Raleigh, NC
Brian Schreiber

President and CEO, JCC of Greater Pittsburgh
Michael Paysnick, Executive Director
Pittsburgh, PA
Springfield JCC

Springfield, MA
Daniel Septimus, Chief Executive Officer

Jewish Community Center of Austin
Leonard Petlakh, Executive Director
Austin, TX
Kingsbay YM-YWHA

Brooklyn, NY
Heidi Shimberg
Jared Powers, CEO, Marcus JCC of Atlanta
Chief Operating Officer of Programs and Services
Dunwoody, GA
Tampa JCC

Tampa, FL
Michael Rawl, Executive Director

JCC of Youngstown
Brian Siegel, Chief Executive Officer
Youngstown, OH
JCC of Metropolitan Detroit

West Bloomfield, MI
Stuart Raynor, Executive Director

JCC Metrowest
David J Simon, Executive Director
West Orange, NJ
JCC of Greater Albuquerque

Albuquerque, NM

Larry Skolnick, President/C.E.O. Amy Tobin, CEO
Memphis JCC Jewish Community Center of the East Bay
Memphis, TN Berkeley, CA

Aaron Slovin, Executive Director Alison Trachtman Hill, CEO

Camp Livingston Robert E. Loup Jewish Community Center
Cincinnati, OH Denver, CO

Arnie Sohinki, Executive Director Michael Waldman, CEO/Executive Director

JCC of Greater Rochester JCC of the Greater St. Paul Area
Rochester NY St Paul, MN

Mark Sokoll, President/CEO Jerry Wayne, Executive Director

JCCs of Greater Boston Valley Jewish Community Center
Newton, MA Woodland Hills, CA

Adam Solender Andrew Weinberg, Controller/CFO

Executive Director Simon Family Jewish Community Center
Jewish Educational Alliance Virginia Beach, VA
Savannah, GA
Adam Weinstein, Executive Director
Wendy Soos, Director Berkshire Hills Eisenberg Camp
JCC Princeton Mercer Bucks & Abrams Camps, New York, NY
East Windsor, NJ
Judy Wolff Bolton, Executive Director
David Sorkin, Executive Director Osher Marin JCC
JCC of Staten Island San Rafael, CA
Staten Island, NY
Ike Zagha, Executive Director
Nate Stein, President/CEO JCC Jersey Shore
Addison-Penzak JCC of Silicon Valley Deal Park, NJ
Los Gatos, CA
Rick Zakalik, Executive Director
Josh Steinharter, Director JCC of Greater Buffalo, Getzville, NY
JCC Maccabi Sports Camp
San Francisco, CA Carole Zawatsky, Chief Executive Officer
Edlavitch JCC of Washington, DC
Daniel Stern, Executive Director Washington, DC
Charleston JCC
Charleston, SC Zim Zimmerman, Executive Director
Camp Mountain Chai
Kimberly Subrin, Chief Operating Officer San Diego, CA
Valley of the Sun JCC
Scottsdale, AZ

Howard Tevlowitz, Executive Director

The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL