Over two dozen synagogues and Jewish institutions in New York City, as well as temples upstate and on Long Island, received a chilling bomb threat via email on Saturday, May 4. According to law enforcement sources as reported by the New York Post, the email from ‘Terrorizers111’ read, “Hello, if you see this email just have notice of a bomb I have set inside of your building.” “This isn’t a threat,” it continued. “I have set a bomb in your building, you have a few hours to disarm or else blood will shatter everywhere.” The threat targeted 14 Manhattan synagogues and Jewish centers, two in Brooklyn, five in Queens, two upstate temples, and one on Long Island. The New York Landmarks Conservancy also received a similar threat. These threats coincide with a rise in antisemitism in New York City and elsewhere, including pro-Palestinian protests and anti-Israeli encampments on college campuses amidst the Hamas-Israel conflict. However, New York officials have deemed the threats unfounded, and investigators are working to identify the sender.
US Senator Chuck Schumer and Representative Jerry Nadler, after speaking with the FBI about the investigation, stated at a press conference that they had requested a thorough investigation to track down the perpetrators, acknowledging the difficulty in tracing the source of such threats. Governor Kathy Hochul tweeted, “We are actively monitoring a number of bomb threats at synagogues in New York. 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.”
