3 Los Angeles Synagogue Buildings Shuttered On Shabbat By Bomb Threats

Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
(JTA) — Three Los Angeles synagogue locations were temporarily closed after receiving bomb threats on Shabbat.
The threats were reported in the Los Angeles Jewish Journal on Saturday.
The affected synagogues were the University Synagogue in Brentwood, and both campuses of the Wilshire Boulevard Temple – the Erika J. Glazer Family Campus in Wilshire Center/Koreatown or the Audrey and Sydney Irmas Campus in West Los Angeles,
The synagogues were all closed around 8 a.m. on Saturday and cleared to reopen by about 12:45 p.m., to Los Angeles Police Department Officer Mike Lopez told the Jewish Journal.
The LAPD used K9 units to check the buildings for bombs. No explosives were found at any of the locations.
The University Synagogue received its threat in an email, according to the report. The Wilshire Boulevard Temple received a threat via an online submission form on the synagogue’s website. All three buildings were empty when the threats were received.
The University Synagogue had a Torah study scheduled for Saturday morning. When the members of the study group arrived and discovered the building closed, they moved about a block down the street and held it outside.
Hello, fellow Forward reader! I’m Joel Brown, a Forward reader and supporter for more than 15 years, and currently the chair of the board of directors.
I’m an avid Forward reader because it ticks so many of my essential boxes: excellent journalism, Jewish focus and diverse viewpoints. In today’s political climate, what I most appreciate is the Forward’s independence — made possible by the generosity of its membership.
The Forward is committed to bringing you unbiased, nuanced Jewish news. From my position as board chair, I see an exciting future as we expand our position as the definitive independent voice of contemporary American Judaism.
That’s why I’m paying it Forward, by matching $36,000 of reader gifts. It’s an investment in the Forward’s newsroom, to continue telling the American Jewish story with truth and independence.
— Joel Brown, Forward board chair
