Congregation Beth Israel in West Hartford, Conn., received a bomb threat in an email believed to have targeted a number of synagogues in Connecticut, Vermont and Rhode Island. It was found in an unchecked email folder, according to West Hartford law enforcement.
Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.) condemned the threat in a statement issued on Dec. 18, the fifth night of Chanukah, calling the threats abhorrent.
He said that “threats against synagogues are not only attacks on Jewish families—they are attacks on Jewish values.”
Derek Slap, a Democratic Connecticut state senator, said it was “yet another example of a vile rise in antisemitism across the globe as we saw last week in Australia and right here in our backyard.” He called the threats “extremely disturbing.”
The Reform congregation, established in 1843, said it would increase security measures. A search by synagogue staff and West Hartford police found nothing suspicious in the building, and law-enforcement officials concluded there was no credible hazard.
