Saturday saw a flurry of alarm in New York as at least four synagogues and a museum received bomb threats, according to city officials and the New York Police Department. Despite the panic they incited, none of the threats were deemed credible.
Reports indicate that three of the bomb threats were leveled at Congregation Rodeph Sholom on West 83rd street, Congregation Beit Simchat Torah on West 30th street, and Chabad of Midtown on 5th Avenue and 43rd street in Manhattan. Furthermore, the Brooklyn Museum and the Brooklyn Heights Synagogue were also targeted with bomb threats via email, leading to prompt investigations which found no evidence of any explosive device.
In response to the threats, Rodeph Sholom, acting with caution and at the NYPD’s request, evacuated its premises (source). The building was declared clear only after the police completed their investigations.
However, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine emphasized that these events, though fake, are part of a wider series of hate crimes against Jewish institutions, notably contributing to an atmosphere of fear-mongering and anti-Semitism in New York. His sentiment was echoed by Governor Kathy Hochul, who despite acknowledging the lack of credibility, stated that such actions were intolerable and promised her office’s continued vigilance on the matter.
New York Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer reassured New Yorkers there was no active threat as per the FBI. Schumer, with Congressman Jerry Nadler, announced plans to increase security funding for places of worship via the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP), a FEMA initiative designed to enhance security preparedness for organizations perceived to be at high risk of terrorist attacks.
These threats arise amidst a climate of escalated tension within the city, with recent mass arrests of pro-Palestinian student protestors at both Columbia University and New York University by the NYPD.
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