It should have been a typical week. The hundreds of community members who rely on the Jewish Community Center here in Cherry Hill everyday should have been able to go about their daily routines and activities this week in peace. Instead, their lives were suddenly disrupted with not one, but two, bomb threats over as many days.
I’m thankful authorities, including the Cherry Hill Police Department, the FBI, the Burlington County Sheriff’s office’s K-9 unit and the Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey’s security team, were able to clear the building and ensure there were no explosives on the premises.
It’s a blessing no one was physically harmed, but these threats cause real damage in many more ways. They are intended to cause fear, terror, and make Jewish people feel unwelcome and unsafe in their own communities. We will not stand for it. These blatant acts of antisemitism and hate have absolutely no place in Cherry Hill. We will fight it on all fronts, unrelentingly.
As angry as I am about these threats, I am equally heartened by the response I’ve seen from across the community, and by the incredible amount of interfaith and intercultural support, and collaboration I have seen in Cherry Hill.
That’s especially true when it comes to our Human Relations Advisory Committee, which brings together an advisory group for the Mayor and Council of Cherry Hill, celebrates our township’s diversity, and promotes respect for human and civil rights for all Cherry Hill residents, business owners and visitors. The Committee has created opportunities, like our Thanksgiving Unity Program held this past November, for people of all backgrounds to connect, share their traditions and cultures, and build the kind of community ties that help make Cherry Hill such a great place to live. I encourage you to learn more about the Committee, follow us on Facebook to keep up to date on our activities and find information about upcoming events.
Of course, our ongoing fight against antisemitism is much larger than us. The Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey reported that similar threats were made in Philadelphia and New York, reinforcing just how much work must still be done, across the country and the world, to end this hate.
