Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes
SALT LAKE CITY — Congregation Kol Ami in Salt Lake City was about a minute away from rolling out the Torah and spreading it around the room for a yearly celebration of Simchat Torah on Sunday when staff received an email claiming there was a bomb in the building.
Rabbi Samuel Spector said they took the threat seriously and immediately evacuated the building. He said based on security measures already in place, they knew there was likely no bomb, but they acted cautiously.
"Unfortunately, bomb threats are not uncommon to Jewish centers around the country," he said.
Rabbi Spector said although Jews are only 2% of the population of the U.S., over 50% of victims of religious hate crimes are Jewish. He said since the shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue in 2018, their congregation has had police on the site for any worship service, typically three or four times a week, so the officers were already there to begin searching.
The email said the bomb would go off in a few hours, and that bombs were also at other Jewish centers in the state. The emails, which were sent to multiple congregations in Utah, ended with: "You all deserve to die."
Spector said despite the jarring bomb threat, some members of the congregation continued praying at a park nearby after being evacuated. They were not able to finish their service for Simchat Torah.
Salt Lake police said they did not find any explosives in this synagogue or at two others in the city, but they increased their patrol presence in the areas.
The threats came after hundreds of Hamas militants breached Israel's defenses from the Gaza Strip Saturday, pouring in by air, land and sea on a rampage that would leave hundreds dead. The infiltration caught Israel's high-tech army completely unaware. Israel has increased its airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, but Hamas and other militants in Gaza say they are holding more than 130 soldiers and civilians snatched from inside Israel.
Kol Ami was not the only synagogue that was in the middle of a service and evacuated from the building. Janice Ward, president of Congregation Brith Sholem in Ogden, said a threat came during religious school hours and children in the sanctuary were evacuated.
The FBI said it is aware of the threats to synagogues and takes them seriously.
"While we have no information to indicate a credible or specific threat, we are working with our local and state law enforcement partners as needed. We urge the public to remain vigilant, and report any and all suspicious activity and/or individuals to law enforcement immediately," the agency said in a statement.
A similar threat was also sent to the Red Cliffs Mall in St. George on Sunday, which delayed its opening while officers searched. That threat did not reference any specific groups or Jews, but it was sent in an email around the same time and the St. George Police Department said the threat was "similarly worded." A similar email caused officials to evacuate the St. George Regional Airport Monday morning while a bomb-sniffing dog searched the airport.
War in Israel impacts Jewish Utahns
Although the Kol Ami congregation gathered to celebrate Simchat Torah, Rabbi Spector said their gathering even before the bomb threat was not as joyful as it would typically be.
He said Simchat Torah is a "very joyful" holiday where they finish reading the Torah, unroll it so it stretches around the room, and then they begin reading it again. They also start to pray for rain for the Jewish people.
"There's typically a lot of dancing, a lot of music, singing and drinking and eating," he said.
He noted that on Saturday there were more Jews killed than during any single day since the Holocaust, and the Utah-based Jewish congregation was very aware of that and was more somber even before they received a threat.
Rabbi Spector said the threat coming to Utah synagogues right after the violence in Israel "seems more than coincidental," but threats to Jewish communities are "routine" so it is hard to know definitively if there is a connection.
However, he said it would not surprise him for the events to be related. Rabbi Spector said during the last conflict between Israel and Gaza there was a 500% increase in anti-semetic attacks and hate crimes for about a month.
A resilient community
Although threats of violence are not uncommon, Rabbi Spector said they have a tight-knit community that supports one another and threats often lead to a stronger desire for Jews to come together. He said the community is "very resilient" and he expects most, if not all members of his congregation will not be deterred from coming back to the synagogue.
"Unfortunately, this is a reality of being Jewish in America or being Jewish anywhere. But we have a wonderful tight-knit community … that rallies and supports each other," he said.
He said they understand the purpose of the threats is to scare people away from Judaism.
"We're not going to hand them that victory. Our faith and our traditions have been going on for thousands of years; they will not end with us," he said.
Rabbi Spector said their teachings provide light that contrasts the violence the congregation was exposed to on Sunday. He said because of the frequency of threats, security measures are taken seriously at most synagogues.
"Every synagogue I know takes security very seriously and not only does routine security training for their staff and their community members, but also works closely with law enforcement and goes to a tremendous financial burden to make sure that their facilities are safe and that security is present," he said.
Rabbi Spector's congregation is hosting a solidarity gathering on Tuesday at 5 p.m. at the Kol Ami Synagogue for Israel and the Jewish community, and he said community members can come to show support there.
"I anticipate that folks are going to want to be present for each other during this time," he said.
Rabbi Spector encouraged people to support their Jewish friends. He said it is a difficult time to be Jewish, but knowing someone cares is helpful.
"Let them know that you are thinking about them and that you stand with them and that you care about them," he said. "It's been really nice to have that outpouring of love and support, knowing we're not alone."
