Livingston’s Temple Beth Shalom was one of about a dozen synagogues that received a bomb threat this past Sunday, December 17. The threat was ultimately determined to be unfounded.
Specifically, at 8:39 a.m., Livingston Police was notified of an email that had been sent to Temple Beth Shalom claiming that there were multiple explosives in the building that would be going off in a few hours.
Livingston officers responded to the scene and evacuated the temple. A check of the building was performed with the assistance of the Essex County sheriff’s office Bomb and K-9 Unit, and the temple was found to be clear of any explosive devices.
Police determined that the email had been sent to numerous temples statewide and throughout the country – synagogues in more than a dozen states received a total of more than 200 threats – and no credible threat was found.
Out of an abundance of caution, Livingston officers kept an extra watch at the temple and all synagogues throughout town.
The Livingston Detective Bureau is continuing to investigate the matter.
The following message was sent to Temple Beth Shalom families, from president Marla Parnes, Rabbi Simeon Cohen, and executive director Neil Weidberg.
“We had an unexpectedly eventful Sunday morning at TBS. We received a bomb threat via email that was sent to us as well as other synagogues in the U.S. The Livingston Police Department received the notice as well. Livingston Police immediately responded and walked through the building together with their canine unit. The security department of the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ was informed as well.
“Once our building was swept and found to be clear, we moved back into TBS where we continued with our programs. However, we canceled religious school as the sweep to clear the building coincided with the start time of school and we did not know when the building would reopen.
“We are grateful to all our community partners who helped us today. Sadly, these kinds of experiences have become increasingly common at Jewish institutions. We had prepared for this scenario and everything went smoothly. We will continue to remain vigilant about our safety and security procedures and will share updates as necessary.”
