Three New York City synagogues and The Brooklyn Museum were hit with bogus bomb threats over a roughly two-hour span — and the threats are believed to be part of a mass email sent to nearly two dozen Jewish houses of worship, according to a Jewish philanthropic organization.
The emailed threats, all determined to be unfounded, drew the attention of Gov. Kathy Hochul, who said on Twitter.com Saturday night her office was “actively monitoring” them.
The first threat came at about 3:15 p.m., to Congregation Rodeph Sholom at 7 W. 83rd St., according to both police and the congregation’s leadership.
Police called for an evacuation, and after a search found no explosives.
“Sadly, threats to Jewish institutions across the country have increased and this afternoon’s threat was part of an ongoing, broader effort,” the synagogue posted on its Facebook page.
Just before 4:30 p.m., cops say someone sent an email to Congregation Beit Simchat Torah at 130 W. 30th St. — known for its progressive and openly LGBTQ congregation. No one was inside the building at the time, and cops found no explosives, police said.
About 45 minutes after that, the Brooklyn Heights Synagogue at 131 Remsen St. received a similar threat, leading three employees to clear out, cops said. That threat, too, was unfounded.
Finally, just before 5:30 p.m., someone sent an email to the Brooklyn Museum at 200 Eastern Parkway, claiming explosives had been planted on the No. 2 and 3 subway lines, cops said. Police found no explosives.
Cops have not said whether the threats are linked.
A security bulletin obtained by the New York Daily News said the synagogue threats were all the work of a single person who sent out a mass email to 14 Jewish houses of worship in Manhattan, two in Brooklyn, five in Queens, one on Long Island, one in upstate Utica, and one in Iowa.
“Hello, if you see this email just have notice of a bomb I have set inside of your building,” the email reads, according to the bulletin by the United Jewish Appeal-Federation of New York’s Community Security Initiative, which is run by former NYPD director of intelligence Mitch Silber.
“This isn’t a threat I have set a bomb in your building, you have a few hours to disarm or else blood will shatter everywhere,” the email continues. “The group ‘Terrorizers111’ is behind this.”
The threats come as tensions and college campus protests roil the city after Hamas terrorists attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing almost 1,200 and sparking a sustained Israeli siege in Gaza that has killed roughly 35,000.
“We are actively monitoring a number of bomb threats at synagogues in New York,” Hochul said in her statement. “Threats have been determined not to be credible, but we will not tolerate individuals sowing fear & antisemitism. Those responsible must be held accountable for their despicable actions.”
As the conflict continues, antisemitic hate crimes have jumped by 45% citywide, according to NYPD stats.
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