Bomb threat at SLO synagogue renews trauma Jews felt after Hamas attack, rabbi says
The rabbi who leads the San Luis Obispo synagogue that received a bomb threat over the weekend said he is grateful for the community support in San Luis Obispo.
The threat came to Congregation Beth David around 4 a.m. Saturday morning, Rabbi Micah Hyman told The Tribune. He said the sender had not put the recipients on Bcc, so he could see all 400 synagogues who received the same threat.
The Anti-Defamation League, an international Jewish organization that fights antisemitism, told CNN the threats were believed to be made by one person or a small group of individuals. All threats were determined to be hoaxes, CNN reported.
Hyman told The Tribune the suspects are “not smart, not skilled and purveying hate.”
The rabbi said the language was blunt, but as far as a “direct palpable threat,” it did not reach a serious level of concern.
“We’ve taken all precautions that are necessary and are working with local and district agencies,” Hyman said, adding he is grateful for the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office’s support.
Hyman also noted that the congregation can provide security for the community it serves, but he declined to provide further details.
Hyman said the Jewish community was traumatized by the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas — a Palestinian militant group considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. government — that killed approximately 1,200 people, mostly Israeli citizens. This trauma is reaffirmed any time a threat or act of antisemitism occurs, he said.
“(The trauma) comes in waves,” he said.
Since the Oct. 7 attack, nearly 20,000 people have been killed in Israeli retaliations in Gaza, and more than 52,500 have been wounded, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Reports of antisemitism and Islamophobia have risen across the United States since the attack.
“War is challenging,” Hyman said. “Best we can do is to remain secure as a community. We’re grateful for the police and our civic partners.”
Hyman said the congregation’s connections with local organizations, including the NAACP and Diversity SLO, have helped instrumentally and he is grateful their community partners are “making sure we’re beloved.”
Tuesday evening, the San Luis Obispo County NAACP chapter posted a statement to its Instagram page in support of the Congregation Beth David.
“Thankfully, none of these threats resulted in any loss of life,” the post read, “but the terror inflicted on members of the Jewish community is nevertheless quite real and harmful.”
In a statement, NAACP chapter president Tobin Johnson said the organization extends its sympathy toward the congregation and “reaffirms its support for the common values of the Congregation and the NAACP.”
Johnson said the group stands in solidarity with the Jewish community in condemning this act of terror.
“It is not lost on us that the same groups that target the Jewish community with these hateful acts are the very groups that espouse and act on other forms of bigotry and racism of which people of color are frequently targeted.”
Hyman said he wants to focus on positivity moving forward and not give those, like the white supremacy group California Blackshirts, the attention they seek.
“We need to support one another (against) any acts of hatred like this,” Hyman said. “The more we can talk about the positive connections we have across religion the less we need to talk about the racist flyers, that’s terror we must turn away from.”
