Anti-Semitism Timeline: When, Where JCC Bomb Threats, Cemetery Vandalism, Swastika Graffiti Have Happened Since Election 2016

The discovery of hundreds of toppled headstones at a Jewish cemetery in Philadelphia Sunday is just the latest report in a wave of anti-Semitic incidents across the United States since the November election. After a similar attack at another Jewish cemetery in Missouri last week, President Donald Trump spoke out to condemn the wave of violence, which has also included multiple bomb threats made against Jewish Community Centers.

However, some feel his comments were long overdue. Officials and organizations, such as the Anne Frank Center, have publicly criticized alleged anti-Semitic elements within Trump’s administration.

The New York Police Department has also cited the election, although not Trump directly, for the rise in hate crimes.

“Based on the timing and the extraordinary increase we’ve been seeing, not only in New York but around the nation, you have to conclude that the presidential campaign was the major factor,” Stephen Davis, the NYPD’s deputy commissioner for public information, said Friday. “To be cautious about casting blame, one would have to consider the heated nature of the rhetoric on both sides.”

The rise of anti-Semitic actions began immediately have the Nov. 8 election.

Nov. 9, 2016: In the hours following Trump’s upset victory, there was a slew of racist graffiti celebrating his triumph. A park wall in Wellsville, New York, had a large swastika spray painted on it along with the words "Make America white again"—a slight change to Trump's campaign slogan, "Make America Great Again." Similar Nazi-themed vandalism was recorded across the country, including swastikas drawn on the door of a Vermont synagogue. In all, there were 100 anti-Semitic incidents of hate recorded by the Southern Poverty Law Center in the 10 days since the election.

Jan. 5, 2017: An Orlando Chabad center was evacuated for a second consecutive day after receiving bomb threats. The incident seemed to spark a nationwide trend.

Jan. 9, 2017: Telephoned bomb threats were made to 16 Jewish Community Centers in nine states. No bombs were found at the centers in Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Tennessee. Some of the calls were made via an automated “robocall” system, while several centers were evacuated.

Jan. 18, 2017: Nine days later, a second wave of bomb threats were made to JCCs. This time, 27 centers in 17 states were targeted, leading to an FBI investigation. A recording of one of the calls was obtained by Jewish news agency JTA.

“It’s a C-4 bomb with a lot of shrapnel, surrounded by a bag [inaudible],” read a transcript of the call. “In a short time, a large number of Jews are going to be slaughtered. Their heads are going to [sic] blown off from the shrapnel. There’s a lot of shrapnel. There’s going to be a bloodbath that’s going to take place in a short time. I think I told you enough. I must go.”

Jan. 31, 2017: A third wave of bomb threats targeted 13 Jewish community centers in 10 states, including centers in Albany, New York, as well as Salt Lake City, Utah, and La Jolla, California. Again there were evacuations but no explosives found.

Feb. 4, 2017: A group of subway riders in New York City discovered windows and posters covered in Jewish graffiti. The graffiti included messages like “Jews belong in the oven.” Over the same weekend, similar incidents were reported in Chicago, Houston and Oregon.

Feb. 20, 2017: A fourth wave of bomb threats were made to 11 JCCs to take the total to 69 incidents targeting 54 JCCs in 27 states.

Feb. 20, 2017: A discovery was made of up to 200 headstones being damaged or tipped over at a Jewish cemetery in suburban St. Louis. The incident led to increased pressure on Trump to denounce the violence, which he did a day later. The following day, Vice-President Mike Pence stopped off to visit the Universal City, Missouri, cemetery.

Feb. 27, 2017: The bomb threats continued, with a Jewish Community Center in Birmingham, Alabama, being evacuated for the third time since January.