The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Police on alert after threat to synagogue in state
BRIDGEPORT — Just two days prior to the oneyear anniversary of the mass shooting at the Tree of Life Congregation in Pittsburgh, Bridgeport’s Congregation B’Nai Israel received what was investigated as a false threat Friday afternoon that may have been timed to coincide with that anniversary.
Congregation B’Nai Israel, at 2710 Park Ave., got a hangup call followed by a second call in which a bomb threat was relayed to a staff member who picked up the phone, according to Rabbi Evan Schultz during a news conference with police and city officials. Police spokesman Terron Jones said it was a male caller and that the calls happened around 2 p.m.
Later Friday night, police said they tracked down the caller. Capt. Brian Fitzgerald said the threat was called in by a Florida man in his 60s.
“This male has documented mental health history and has made these type of calls in the past,” Fitzgerald said. “We are in touch with his family and they are taking measures to keep him away from access to telephones.”
The captain said there is no current threat to the Bridgeport synagogue or any others in the area that police are aware of. No further information was provided, including whether police were able to ascertain why he chose the Bridgeport congregation.
Lt. Charles Johnson, one of the first city police officers on the scene, said the first move by law enforcement was to ensure everyone had been evacuated. Police Chief Armando Perez said that included staff members, as well as teachersandchildrenfromthe congregation’s preschool.
Shari Nerreau, president of the congregation, said all children were safe and their parents were notified of the incident and were told they could pick up their children.
Johnson said after the evacuation officers did a preliminary check of the building to look for “things out of place” before additional resources were brought in. In this case, Stamford police and New Haven police sent units to help — including two bombsniffing dogs. Perez also said the FBI responded to help investigate.
“We’re very happy to report the building is clear,” Perez said around 4:15 p.m., following a search by law enforcement and K9 units for roughly 45 minutes of the inside and outside of the building. “We conducted a thorough, thorough search.”
Schultz, who started with the congregation about four months ago, praised the quick response by police, especially at a sensitive time.
On Oct. 27, 2018, a gunman opened fire at the Tree of Life Congregation, killing 11 people. The AntiDefamation League said it was likely the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in the nation’s history. The ADL could not immediately be reached for comment Friday about the Bridgeport threat.
Perez said police weren’t sure whether the threat was sparked by the upcoming anniversary of the deadly Pittsburgh shooting, but that it was something law enforcement considered as they investigated.
“I think it just shakes you a little bit to your core,” said Mayor Joe Ganim, turning to the rabbi, who nodded in agreement. “We want to be as proactive as we can.”
The chief said police presence would be heightened at the synagogue around the clock Friday, throughout the weekend and for the foreseeable future. He said there would also be an increase in police units throughout the city, with a special focus on the city’s places of worship.
Perez said he would be in touch with police chiefs in neighboring towns and cities to let them know about the Bridgeport threat.
Anat Biletzki, a Quinnipiac University professor of philosophy, said Friday’s threat and others classified as antiSemitic by organizations like the ADL are a side effect of the rise of hatred in the U.S.
“There’s the whole phenomenon now of hate against the other and against minorities and against anybody who’s different,” she said. “Anti
Semitism is one more type of terrible, terrible hatred.”
With the anniversary of the Tree of Life shooting approaching, many local synagogues had planned memorial during services this weekend.
At the Greenwich Reformed Synagogue, Rabbi Jordie Gerson has said that there has been additional police presence there, in part due to concerns arising from the Pittsburgh shooting rampage anniversary.
While Congregation Agudath Sholom in Stamford said they have not had any threats directed at them, they said police contacted them Friday to check.
Rabbi Alvin Wainhaus of Congregation Or Shalom in Orange, was doing his preSabbath errands Friday when he heard about the threats made to B’Nai Israel. Wainhaus said the news immediately brought back thoughts of the Pittsburgh attack nearly a year ago and that security now would be increased at Or Shalom.
He said the “terrible irony” of such threats is that millions of Jews came to America because it is a “unique” nation that offers a dream of equality, a
“dream of equal justice” and equal dignity.
“The terrible irony is that these threats and such events shake our faith in that dream,” Wainhaus said.
He said his own parents, who escaped the Holocaust through China, “were so grateful to be here.” His voice breaking with emotion, the rabbi said his mother would stand each time she heard the national anthem.
“We always remember that America is greater than this, a great nation, greater than the scourge of hatred,” Wainhaus said. “We will come back stronger; America is bigger than this.”
At Congregation Shir Shalom of Westchester and Fairfield Counties in Ridgefield, the rabbi plans to call police about the threat. But Rabbi David Levy Reiner said he expects the congregation to remain safe with its regular security.
“Any time there is a threat, obviously, it’s a cause for concern,” he said. “We do listen and pay attention when there’s threats, especially so close by.”
A regional office had warned the congregation about the threat, Reiner said. The synagogue was already on alert due to the oneyear anniversary of a shooting at a synagogue in Pittsburgh.
“(We) are very vigilant in terms of our security and safety here,” he said.
In Norwalk, Lt. Terry Blake said there will be increase police patrols at the city’s three synagogues this weekend.
Rabbi Shneur Brook of Chabad of SheltonMonroe said the congregation is “extremely vigilant” when it comes to security.
“During the busier seasons, like the High Holidays and Hanukkah, and at other popular events, we hire security guards and increase police patrol around the area, and plan on continue to do this in an effort to protect our community,” Brook said. “We'll continue to stay vigilant and on top of our security of the Jewish community.”