Law enforcement did not find evidence of explosives at any of the three sites targeted. Photo by iStock

By Camillo Barone November 20, 2023

Multiple bomb threats targeted Jewish places of worship across Massachusetts on Sunday, heightening concerns for the Jewish community amid the ongoing war between Israel and Gaza.

The threats were received in three communities — Needham, Hingham, and Northampton —prompting swift responses from local law enforcement agencies. Congregation Sha’aray Shalom in Hingham, Temple Beth Shalom in Needham, and the Florence Congregational Church in Northampton, which houses Beit Ahavah, a Jewish synagogue, were evacuated as police investigated the threats.

All three synagogues received emails containing bomb threats. No explosives were found on site at any of them; law enforcement agencies are investigating to determine the threats’ origin.

In an interview, Cantor Steven Weiss, a leader at Hingham’s Congregation Sha’aray Shalom, told Boston 25 News that “you would not expect something to happen like this in a place like Hingham, but there’s lots of hate out there right now.”

The incidents in Massachusetts are part of a broader trend, as the Anti-Defamation League has reported a 400 percent increase in antisemitic attacks since Hamas’ attack on Israel.

Yet despite the fear and disruption caused by the threats, leaders and residents in the affected communitie also highlighted the outpouring of goodwill they’ve received, with Weiss mentioning that the congregation had received tremendous support received in the wake of the Sunday incident.

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