UPDATED: Bomb Threat Made Against Chevra Ahavas Yisroel in Crown Heights

by CrownHeights.info

A bomb threat was emailed against Chevra Ahavas Yisroel, at 306 Albany Ave in Crown Heights Sunday, claiming a bomb was placed inside the shul and would explode within a few hours.

The NYPD has been responding to multiple such bomb threats today, including one in Riverdale and another on Ocean Parkway. The threats were investigated and found to be false.

A recent spike in such incidents has prompted law enforcement to believe that the bomb threats are a coordinated effort by a foreign actor.

This story is developing and will be updated as information becomes available.

Update 12:47pm: The NYPD has released a statement following multiple “swatting” incidents in the area.

The NYPD is aware of and actively investigating a number of emails that have been sent to synagogues around the city indicating possible bomb threats. These emails appear to be part of another series of “swatting,” or hoax threats, similar to campaigns that we have seen nationwide and in our city over the last few months. While these threats are not considered credible, we will continue to deploy resources to houses of worship around the city. We will continue to work hand in hand with our law enforcement partners, houses of worship, and community leaders to keep New York City safe. We are asking all New Yorkers to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to police. If you see something, say something by calling 9-1-1 or 1-888-NYC-SAFE.

Update: The Crown Heights Shul Association, Crown Heights Shomrim, and the Jewish Future Alliance have put out a PSA for the community following the recent bomb threats.

Multiple synagogues in the district received bomb threats, with at least 50 reported in New York. It seems to be the same sender operating nationwide. While we don’t deem these threats credible and suspect their purpose is to induce fear and disrupt services, we strongly recommend contacting the NYPD to log the threat and consider a security sweep of the Shul.

We also suggest emailing Adam Berish at berisha@csiny.org and inform him. He is monitoring the situation on behalf of the Community Security Initiative.

Rabbi Lazer Avtzon
Crown Heights Shul Association

Rabbi Mendy Hershkop
Crown Heights Shomrim

Rabbi Yaacov Behrman
Jewish Future Alliance