From the desk of the Rabbi – a letter to our neighbors at the Katz JCC:
Dear Oded,
I and other members of the Nafshenu community in Cherry Hill were shocked and angered to learn of the bomb threat that forced the evacuation of the Katz JCC today. Of course, we are grateful that it was a hoax. But the real harm done to those inside, not least to the preschoolers in the early childhood center, deserves a strong response from our South Jersey community.
Your neighbors at Nafshenu want you to know that we stand with you. We share the relief that this was a cruel prank and not a physical attack. And we share your determination to carry on in the face of those who want to drive us into hiding.
The Katz JCC is an anchor of the South Jersey Jewish community. We need you, and we want you to know that we hold you in our hearts today.
The quick and strong response from local law enforcement is reassuring. We ask and fully expect that police and others that fight hate crimes will do all that they can to find the perpetrators of this and other acts of anti-Jewish hate.
Meanwhile, we will be thinking of you, and we remain committed to strengthening the ties that bind us together in the South Jersey Jewish community.
With respect and love,
David N. Goodman
Nafshenu student rabbi and spiritual leader