A delegation of Jewish leaders with U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions March 30, 2017, at the Department of Justice. Photo: JCC Association of North America.

JNS.org – In the wake of an unprecedented wave of bomb threats against JCCs and vandalism at Jewish cemeteries across North America, Jewish leaders met Thursday with US Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Leaders from the JCC Association of North America as well as the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, Jewish Federations of North America and Secure Community Network attended the meeting with Sessions.

JCC Association President and CEO Doron Krakow said in a statement he is “pleased” by the continued engagement from the Sessions-led Department of Justice, the FBI and other federal agencies in maintaining their vigilance against antisemitism.

“We were gratified to hear from Attorney General Sessions that every incident is significant and won’t be tolerated. We are appreciative that he understands the continued impact these threats have had on Jewish institutions and the role law enforcement can play in helping to prevent further acts of terror,” Karkow said.

Last week, Israeli authorities arrested an Israeli-American teenager in connection to the wave of more than 130 bomb threats against JCCs and other Jewish institutions since the beginning of 2017.

“We were very encouraged to hear the attorney general commit to the enforcement of existing hate crimes laws in light of ongoing incidents targeting Jews and other minorities,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the ADL.