Local JCC leader Shapiro expresses optimism, pledges resolve following arrest in connection to threats

The leader of a suburban Milwaukee Jewish Community Center expressed cautious optimism and pledged resolve Thursday after news broke that a teenager in Israel had been arrested in connection with threats against Jewish facilities around the world.

"We've had a lot bigger nutballs try to take us down," said Mark Shapiro, president and CEO of the Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center in Whitefish Bay, which was temporarily closed four times in recent weeks because of threats.

Shapiro made his comments in an appearance at the Milwaukee Press Club's Newsroom Pub hours after authorities in Israel announced that an 18-year-old man had been arrested in connection with a wave of threats aimed at Jewish community centers. Arrested in Israel, the man appeared in court and was ordered held until at least March 30, according to The New York Times.

The man's attorney said he suffers from a brain tumor that may have an effect on his cognitive functions, the Times said.

The man holds dual Israeli and American citizenship and lives in southern Israel. Authorities said he was believed to have made threats against Jewish community centers in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand.

There's no link yet between the man and the recent threats to the Whitefish Bay JCC, Shapiro said, adding he was "cautiously optimistic" that the man was the person responsible for the threats. Efforts to reach the local FBI office were not immediately successful.

The disruptions to the JCC have been unsettling, but also brought the diverse community that uses the center's facilities and programs closer together, Shapiro said.

"We take care of a lot of lives at the JCC" ranging from child care, the elderly, fitness programs and efforts to serve the homeless and hungry, he said.

"We succeed in challenging times by continuing to do what we do best," he said. "We are continuing to move forward almost as if nothing has changed."

Shapiro said messages of support have been received from around the world, including from one Pewaukee woman who has sent the JCC a $10 contribution every time it's been shut down because of a threat.

"She's never even been to the JCC," he said.

RELATED: This is what a bomb threat sounds like

The JCC serves about 1,000 people each day through seven business units that operate at six area sites. The organization has an annual budget of about $13 million, Shapiro said.

The JCC has lost some members due to disruptions, Shapiro said, calling the figure minimal, "less than 1%."

"We will welcome them back," he said.

The suspect, who was not immediately identified, was arrested by Israeli police as part of joint investigation with the FBI, federal authorities said.

Investigators believe the suspect is responsible for the bulk of the threats transmitted against Jewish institutions in the past several months.

"Today’s arrest in Israel is the culmination of a large-scale investigation spanning multiple continents for hate crimes against Jewish communities across our country,'' Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Thursday. "The Department of Justice is committed to protecting the civil rights of all Americans, and we will not tolerate the targeting of any community in this country on the basis of their religious beliefs.''

More than 150 threats

More than 150 threats have been made to Jewish facilities across the country since the start of the year, prompting concerns about a rise in anti-Semitism and other hate rhetoric and actions in communities nationwide.

The last threat involving the JCC in Whitefish Bay was on March 12.

The threats spread fear in communities, prompting some of the targeted institutions to upgrade physical security at community centers and offer personal training to staffers to better protect themselves.

The Jewish Telegraph Agency said the teen was arrested at his home in the southern Israeli community of Ashkelon. It said the teen lived in Israel for many years.

According to news accounts, the teen used advanced technology and voice-altering equipment to call in the threats to more than 100 JCCs, Jewish day schools and other Jewish institutions in the United States. He also is accused of making a threatening call to Delta Air Lines, leading to the emergency landing of at least one plane, and a series of threats in Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

He appeared in court in Rishon LeZion on Thursday for a remand hearing, where he was ordered held over until March 30. His motives are unknown, according to reports.

Ynet reported that during the hearing the teen's attorney requested that he be placed under supervision after raising concern for his mental status, claiming that he might try to harm himself. The attorney told the court that the teen has had a brain tumor since the age of 14, and has been homeschooled since then. The attorney said that the tumor affects his behavior, Ynet reported.

His father also has been detained on suspicion that he knew about his son’s activities and ordered held in jail until March 30.

Earlier this month, authorities in Missouri arrested Juan Thompson, 31, and charged him in connection with a wave of bomb threats against Jewish community centers as part of a bizarre cyberstalking scheme to retaliate against a former girlfriend. He is accused of making at least eight bomb threats against Jewish institutions in New York, including the Anti-Defamation League, and across the country.

USA Today contributed to this report.