Danya Kornblum, COO of the JCC, wrote to all JCC members:
“As you may be aware, Beth El Synagogue in St Louis Park is closing for the day. This is out of an abundance of caution due to a threat that was received late last night to the ADL in Chicago (the regional office).
We take the Safety and Security of the JCC as the highest priority. We are in communication with Beth El, our law enforcement and security partners, JCRC and the Barry Family Campus. While this threat was not directed to our JCC, we are taking additional measures and enhanced our security protocols, including increasing the frequency of police patrols for surveillance.
We know that this information is troubling. We are continually monitoring the situation and will update our plans as necessary. We stand in solidarity with Beth El and our community.”
Shir Tivkah’s email, from rabbi Michael Latz and executive director Alison Olig, reads:
“As you may have heard, a threat was made against Beth El Synagogue in St. Louis Park. The authorities are involved and appropriate security measures are being taken. We rise in solidarity with our Beth El community. Threats of harm to any community are felt by us all, especially in as tight knit a Jewish community as the Twin Cities.
At Shir Tikvah, we are in communication with appropriate authorities and are responding with diligence, discernment, and discretion. We have implemented some more security measures–some of which you may see, some of which you won’t–all in accordance with our values of being a safe, warm, and welcoming congregation.
In this season of t’shuvah, of turning our lives in a more whole and holy direction, we pray that everyone is safe, that no one anywhere fear violence, that someday soon we know a world of justice and peace.”
The Minnesota chapter of the National Council of Jewish Women tweeted:
We stand in solidarity with our friends at @BethElSynagogue and our entire Jewish community while offering our love and support on this most unsettling day.
We will never back down in the face of hatred and injustice.#shabbatshalom https://t.co/EoelfHPCtK
— NCJW Minnesota (@NCJWMinnesota) September 10, 2021
Jewish Community Action tweeted on Friday afternoon:
We are appalled by this antisemitic threat timed to intimidate our community during the holiest days of the year.
Acts like this attempt to stoke fear. They want us to be afraid. They want us to retreat from being in community with others.
We will not let them do that. https://t.co/r4TDQoZZXi
— Jewish Community Action (@JCA_MN) September 10, 2021
Adath Jeshurun clergy and admin sent this email to members of the synagogue:
“We take security very seriously. While this threat was not directed at Adath, early this morning we contacted the Minnetonka Police Department and requested and received additional police presence at our building today. We will continue to monitor the situation and make changes to our security protocols as necessary.
This is very disturbing news for our community, and we felt it was important to keep you up-to-date on the situation. As we enter Shabbat, we hold the entire Beth El community in our hearts and stand in solidarity with them.”
