'We were next': bomb scare at Jewish Community Centre not surprising to local leader

With anti-Semitic acts on the rise across the United States and Canada, Eldad Goldfarb sensed it was only a matter of time before Vancouver's Jewish Community Centre became a target. 

"We hoped it might skip us but it didn't," he said. "We were next."

On Tuesday night, a bomb threat forced the evacuation of the JCC of Greater Vancouver.

Goldfarb, the executive director of the centre, said it's the first bomb threat received by the centre in his decade long tenure. 

He also said community members are worried. 

"It brings on some emotional reaction about how safe things are," he said. "Why is it happening here? People saying we never thought it would happen in Vancouver."

But like Goldfarb, anyone who follows the news probably could have predicted it.

Calgary, London, Toronto and now, Vancouver

Earlier in the day, the Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre in Toronto had to be evacuated after receiving a robocall bomb threat.

In London, Ont., the same threat led to the evacuation of the local JCC for a second time. 

And 10 days ago, a bomb scare forced the evacuation of Calgary's JCC.

In the U.S. over 60 JCCs and Jewish schools have been similarly targeted. As well, anti-Semitic vandalism appears to be on the rise in both countries.

Goldfarb said the 200 JCCs across North America maintain close contact with each other, and the information shared led Vancouver leaders to realize weeks ago they should be prepared.

VPD collaboration

The centre reached out to the Vancouver Police Department to discuss an emergency plan and just last week the two organizations ran a collaborative evacuation drill at the JCC building.  

"It was happening for a month and a half in the U.S. already. We had so much accumulated information ... we kind of foresaw what was coming," said Goldfarb.

In addition, lessons learned in the U.S. experience made the Vancouver JCC re-evaluate its media policy around anti-Semitic acts.

Instead of staying quiet over concerns that too much exposure might motivate copycats, the JCCs are now speaking out.

Business as usual

"It's evolved to taking a proactive approach and speaking to the media. Because if we don't, someone else who might not have accurate information will," said Goldfarb. 

"With all the media outlets and with all the social media, there is a chance that whoever is doing this might want to do more of this. And our reaction to that is: we are conducting our business as usual. We are prepared. We are ready to respond in emergencies, but once we get the all clear the JCC is open. The daycare is full. Everyone is here. The theatre is operating," said Goldfarb.

"Our best response is by action not words."