Central Alabama synagogues receive bomb threats
The Jewish Federation of Central Alabama says six of its seven entities received bomb threats on Saturday morning.
According to Phillip Ensler, the group’s executive director, who is also the Democratic state representative for District 74 in the Alabama Legislature, the threats came in an email. Ensler says police and canine units cleared the facilities in Montgomery, Selma and Auburn.
Ensler says Temple Emanu-El in Dothan, Temple Mishkan Israel in Selma, Temple Beth Or in Montgomery, Jewish Federation of Central Alabama in Montgomery, Agudath Israel Etz Ahayem in Montgomery and Congregation Beth Shalom in Auburn received the email.
He says the only Jewish entity in Central Alabama that did not receive it was Hillel at Auburn.
Ensler says Agudath Israel was in its Shabbat morning services when an evacuation was called.
This morning during Shabbat religious services — the Jewish day of rest — we had to evacuate my synagogue in Montgomery, AL due to a bomb threat. This is exhausting. I pray for the day that we can worship and live in peace. pic.twitter.com/qjzvvzmqYe
— Phillip Ensler (@EnslerPhillip) December 16, 2023
“We then went back inside after the building was cleared and we finished services — we said our usual prayers of hope and peace and concluded with Kiddish and delicious challah.”
After most of the Jewish congregations and facilities in Central Alabama received bomb threats today, I concluded the sabbath at a minyon service with fellow local Jews in which we sung “Oseh Shalom” which includes the words “May the one who creates peace on high bring peace to…
— Phillip Ensler (@EnslerPhillip) December 17, 2023
He says that while the actual threat level was deemed low, “we must always respond out of an abundance of caution.”
State Rep. Phillip Ensler (D-Montgomery)
Ensler says law enforcement officers are working to find out who was behind the emailed threats.
“We do not know yet who was behind this so I ask you not to speculate or bring politics into it. Let’s allow law enforcement to do their job and investigate and hold whoever the culprit is accountable,” Ensler said to people responding with comments on X (formerly Twitter.)
Stay with Action 8 News for updates on the investigation.
