Bomb threats made against Jewish centers in Philadelphia, Bucks County

The FBI and local police agencies on Thursday were investigating bomb threats made to synagogues across Pennsylvania, including the Germantown Jewish Centre in Philadelphia and Shir Ami synagogue in Newtown Township in Bucks County.

“The FBI is investigating a series of bomb threats targeting synagogues in Pennsylvania and multiple other states across the country,” Carrie Adamowski, spokesperson for the FBI in Philadelphia, said in an email.

“Although at this time no explosive devices related to these threats have been found, we continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners and will remain vigilant to protect our communities,” Adamowski said, adding that anyone with information about suspicious activity or potential threats should report it to local law enforcement or to the FBI at tips.fbi.gov.

The Israel-Hamas war has led to a significant uptick in antisemitism and Islamophobia in the Philadelphia area and nationwide.

Shortly after noon Thursday, police in Newtown Township responded to an emailed bomb threat sent to Shir Ami synagogue, the police department said in a statement.

Children at the synagogue’s school were evacuated to an alternate site while police investigated, including with bomb-sniffing dogs. No bomb was found.

“Investigators and FBI are coordinating the investigation as this has been reported to have occurred at other locations within the state,” Newtown police said.

Phil Nordlinger, executive director of Shir Ami, said in a phone interview that the synagogue received its email about 11:45 a.m. The sender claimed that multiple bombs had been hidden inside the synagogue and demanded $50,000 to be delivered in briefcases to an address in Hazleton, Pa.

Similar or identical emails were sent to other synagogues in the Philadelphia region, Nordlinger said.

This was the first time Shir Ami had received such a threat in recent memory, but the staff was prepared through security training, he said.

Nordlinger praised the staff and teachers who calmly evacuated the pre-school children while teams of bomb-sniffing dogs searched the property.

In Philadelphia, Nina Peskin, executive director of the Germantown Jewish Centre, said in a message to members that office staff received an emailed bomb threat just after 11:10 a.m. Thursday.

Peskin said children participating in an early childhood program were moved to a more secure location while police quickly responded, including with a K-9 unit. No bomb was found.

“Once the police determined that the building was safe, the children returned to their classrooms and took their naps,” Peskin said.

Lt. Adam Reed of the Pennsylvania State Police said in an email that his agency was aware of “multiple bomb threats received across the commonwealth today. While the investigations and immediate responses would be handled by the law enforcement agency where the threat was received, PSP continues to monitor these threats and share information with our law enforcement partners and community stakeholders.”