WEST ORANGE — A North Jersey Jewish community center was one of several across the country to receive threats on Tuesday.

Marcy Burach, spokeswoman for JCC MetroWest, said the Center received bomb threat via phone  in the mid-morning, prompting an evacuation of the Center on North Avenue. Seniors and young children were in the building during the evacuation.

No threat was found in the building.

"We have been working with our security personnel and local law enforcement. Staff and members moved quickly to evacuate the building. It was quick and everyone managed to get out," Burach said.

She said the Center reopened after the all-clear was given and activities continued as normal on Tuesday afternoon.

The West Orange center was one of at least a dozen centers to receive a threat on Tuesday. “Today, a third wave of bomb threats called in to Jewish community centers has caused 14 centers in 10 states plus one Canadian province, to quickly carry out practiced security protocols to ensure the safety of their participants and facilities. While the situation is developing, most have already received the all-clear from local law enforcement and resumed regular operations, with a heightened level of security," said David Posner, director of strategic performance at JCC Association of North America.

Centers in at least nine states received threats on Jan. 9 including the Kaplen Jewish Community Center in Palisades.

Posner said, “We are concerned about the anti-Semitism behind these threats. All threats from the previous two dates have been determined to be hoaxes. The FBI is actively investigating the source or sources of these calls. We are relieved that no one has been harmed and that JCCs continue to operate in a way that puts the safety of their staff, visitors, and premises first.”

It also comes on the same morning a threat was made against Linden High School via Instagram showing a picture of a rifle.

Six people were killed in an attack on a mosque in Quebec City on Monday.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com

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