JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Extra security is coming for Jewish day schools and preschools across Florida. This comes after more than fifty synagogues in the state received bomb threats last week.
The Jewish Federation and Foundation of Northeast Florida was able to intercept the messages and investigate before they even hit their inbox.
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Action News Jax told you last week when bomb threats swept through Florida, targeting more than 50 synagogues as the war between Hamas and Israel continues.
“In reality, antisemitism and intimidation and worse has been in existence for thousands of years,” Mariam Feist, CEO of the Jewish Federation and Foundation of Northeast Florida, said. “This is just something that is unfortunately part of our work.”
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While the majority of synagogues that received threats were in South Florida, there were four in St. Johns County that were also threatened. The names are not being released for safety concerns.
However, the federation knew it was coming.
“When I was notified about these threats by the Secure Community Network’s 24-hour-a-day Duty Desk, I was able to contact the leadership and say, ‘Look these emails are out there. You’re going to receive them,’” Alex Silverstein said. “The credibility of these threats are really low, because the Secure Community Network had already begun the process of vetting them.”
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Silverstein is the Community Security Director for the Jewish Federation and Foundation. He’s also a retired FBI agent. His past work helped in protecting and educating Jewish leaders on how to handle the increasing threats since the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel.
“They knew to go ahead and do a protective sweep of their buildings,” Silverstein said. “They knew to get what evidentiary value we could out of these the emails, and then they contacted local law enforcement.”
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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed two bills into law, this week, dealing with antisemitism and funding for more security at Jewish schools
House Bill 187 is meant to clearly define antisemitism under state law. The state will adopt the definition from the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance.
Antisemitism will be defined in Florida as, “a certain perception of Jewish individuals which may be expressed as hatred toward such individuals. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish and non-Jewish individuals and their property and toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”
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House Bill 1109 deals with funding for extra security for Jewish day schools and preschools.
“The technology advances. Physical structures need improvements,” Silverstein said. “This is something that constantly needs to be done.”
“We’ll be able to apply for that funding,” Feist said. “We’ll help our schools and our synagogues and our JCA [Jewish Community Alliance] and other Jewish organizations that have preschools or have schools to be able to work and apply for that funding.”
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