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Carmel preschoolers, community send letters of support to Indy Jewish Community Center after threats

Posted at 7:11 PM, Mar 13, 2017
and last updated 2017-03-14 02:17:41-04

INDIANAPOLIS -- Students at the Carmel Cooperative Preschool are among dozens across the state who have sent messages of support to the members of the Jewish Community Center in Indianapolis after recent threats.

With the help of their parents, the three and four-year-olds put their words of encouragement and love on paper, along with their artwork, to send to the center.

“The stickers, the decorations were their part,” said Teacher Mary Rose Simons. “Even though they can’t write, they can contribute.”

The Indianapolis center has had two threats in the past two weeks. The first one was on February 27 and the second threat was on Sunday. Both threats closed the center briefly until bomb squads gave the all clear.

RELATED | Indianapolis Jewish Community Center bomb threat one of 11 across the U.S. Monday | JCC receives second bomb threat in past two weeks

The threats are just two of dozens that have been called in across the country against Jewish organizations over the past month.

The staff at Carmel Cooperative Preschool said the letters serve as a lesson in empathy for the kids.

“We believe that in order to teach children how to be kind and empathetic we have to be kind and empathetic,” said Simons. “It’s really important as teachers that we’re good models for our students.”

Students from Cathedral High School, St. Thomas Aquinas, members of First Presbyterian Church in Columbus and dozens of other community members have also sent letters of support to JCC.

Letters like the one below:

“Ever since I was little you were like a place of wonder to me, and now as an 11-year-old I still don’t understand why someone would threaten a community like that. It makes me sick! But as myself speaking, I may not be mighty and I may not be able to do much, but I want you to know that I will always be by your side like you were there for others in their time of need.”

Waite said the center is constantly modifying and improving their emergency procedures and they remain in a “heightened state of vigilance” after the recent threats, but members believe the community response will help prevent anything serious from happening. 

“The underlying current of being targeted is troublesome,” said Lisa Waite with Indianapolis’ Jewish Community Center. “I think even more so to our members who are program participants that come to the JCC. As staff, we’ve always been prepared for any type of situation.”

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