A synagogue in Davidson was evacuated Wednesday morning and a nearby K-8 school was placed on lockdown after someone emailed an anonymous bomb threat to temple staff.
Rabbi Becca Diamond of Temple Kol Tikvah on South Street said staff received the threat around 11:30 a.m. Some 33 different organizations were listed as recipients on the email, she said.
Staff evacuated the temple and notified police, who searched the building with K-9 officers and found no evidence of explosives. Police gave the all-clear around 12:30 p.m., Diamond said.
As a precaution, the nearby Davidson K-8 School was placed on lockdown, according to a statement from the Town of Davidson.
Temple Kol Tikvah also received a submission through its website Wednesday morning that said explosives had been placed inside the North Carolina state capitol, Diamond said. The message appeared to be one of several similar threats to state capitols around the country on Wednesday, according to NPR.
The Davidson temple also received a similar anonymous threat in October, Diamond said. Police found no indication the threat was real.
In October, a 64-year-old man was arrested by the FBI for making a threat to the Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte. Jeffery Hobgood pleaded guilty in the case last week.
Police in Davidson are investigating an anonymous bomb threat made Wednesday morning to a local synagogue, according to a statement from the Town of Davidson.
The rabbis of Temple Kol Tikvah sent a message to their congregation Wednesday saying, "The goal of emails like to ones we received today is to create chaos and fear. This is likely not the last such email we will receive."
"These kinds of anonymous acts of fear-mongering come from people who want us to be afraid. But there are ways we can fight back. We can continue to show that we're proud to be Jewish and that we are committed to strengthening our Jewish community. Fear will not stop us," the message read.
"Traditionally, once a book of Torah is completed, the words 'Chazak chazak v’nitchazek' are said aloud. These words mean, 'together, we shall strengthen ourselves and each other.' Now is a time to not only recite these words, but also to act upon them. Let us all join together as a community and strengthen one another."
