News and Updates
As a combined Jewish Federation, Jewish Community Center and Jewish Family Services program, the JCA is here to be a resource for the entire Southern Maine community.
Thanks to the dedication of our staff and the unwavering support of our network, the JCA impacts our community in many ways. Working with an array of organizations and local congregations, we function as the hub of Jewish programming in Southern Maine.
Dear JCA Community, As you may be aware, email and web-form bomb threats were made today against several Synagogues in Maine. Bomb squads checked the facilities and nothing was found; in addition, State, Federal, and SCN investigations have found the threats not credible. These threats are part of a broader pattern of incidents categorized as “swatting”, and Jewish facilities nationwide have received these threats at historic levels in the past few days. This issue predates the attacks of October 7 th and the war in Israel, and has unfortunately been a necessary feature of our institutional training for several years. Between September 14-17 th of this year (around Rosh Hashanah), there were 15 reported incidents of an individual calling authorities and falsely reporting a bomb inside a Jewish facility. During the same timeframe in September, there were at least 10 incidents of Jewish facilities receiving direct threats via their online contact form or email. As media coverage of swattings and bomb threats targeting Jewish institutions has intensified, individuals within extremist networks have begun advertising and suggesting additional swattings. SCN has identified at least one instance of an unidentified individual in an online forum advertising to teach others how to conduct similar swattings for a fee. SCN will continue provided training to local Jewish institutions to help all of us establish and develop our protocols to manage these incidents. Clergy, staff, and lay leaders will continue to work together to keep our communities safe while operating as normally as possible. Talking to children about these issues can be particularly difficult; PJ Library has been updating their list of resources actively since 2017: https://pjlibrary.org/beyond-books/pjblog/january-2017/how-to-talk-to-your-kids-about-scary-situations . While it is both enraging and devastating to know that there are those who wish to disrupt and terrorize us, the best way we can respond is by refusing to give this more attention than is necessary to neutralize any threat. We are so grateful for the support of our law enforcement partners at the local and national level. Our primary focus must continue to be living our lives openly, safely, and with joy and pride. -Molly Curren Rowles Jewish Community Alliance Executive Director
Interim Director Announcement
JCA Structure Change
This week we entered the month of Kislev, during which many of us will gather to celebrate Thanksgiving and Hanukkah. It is difficult to reconcile the sadness and heaviness we feel right now with these holidays of family, togetherness, and joy. We are reeling from the horror of the attacks on October 7th, and from increased antisemitism worldwide. We grieve for Israel’s fallen and wounded. We grieve for our families and friends in harm’s way, and we pray for the safety of those serving in the IDF, and for the hostages who have still not been returned home. We also feel deeply the pain of thousands of innocent people – Palestinian and Israeli – who have lost their lives, their livelihoods, and their communities due to the conflict. As a member of the Jewish Federations of North America and the Jewish Community Center Association, the JCA supports the sovereign, democratic State of Israel. It also supports a two-state solution. Even as we support Israel in its efforts to extinguish Hamas, many in our community not only feel deeply the pain and the weight of war, but also the pain of alienation from others who disagree about specific strategies, political decisions, and tactics. For some, the ferocity of Israel’s response conflicts with deeply held beliefs about Israel’s role as a light among the nations. As difficult as it is, we recognize that it is in differences of opinion, and in our ability to truly wrestle with our values, that our strength as a people can be found. Indeed, it is in the struggle to maintain our values in the face of adversity that our character must stand firm. We are a small but mighty community, and we draw strength from one another. As an organization that works to build a community in which Jews are safe to live proudly and feel at home, we seek ways to engage sensitively, productively, and respectfully in this time of crisis. There is a diversity of opinions, perspectives, and beliefs in our community, but the Jewish values that drive our commitments can help us bridge any divide. Our differences will never be greater than the power of what we share. No matter how we kindle our lights this year, we know that standing together, we shine more brightly than any darkness. Molly Curren Rowles, Executive Director Stuart Piltch, JCA Board President