The search continues for suspects responsible for last night’s bomb threats against several New Jersey shuls, reported first here on Matzav.com. New Jersey police and dozens of FBI agents converged on neighboring shuls on Park Avenue in Long Branch along the Jersey shore. Just after 8 p.m., officials evacuated Congregation Brothers of Israel and Congregation Ohel Simha, where 300 people were celebrating a wedding.
The bomb squad went in with bomb sniffing dogs, but no explosives were found. Both shuls were cleared around midnight.
Police said the threat was no prank as members were forced onto the streets during the frightening investigation.
Many members’ fears carried over into this morning.
“Everybody here are really good people,” Long Branch resident Rina Braha told CBS 2. “We have a good community so I think it’s just very scary for everybody.”
The events came as a complete shock for resident Martin Sher as well.
“I think it’s really, really surprising,” Sher said. “It’s terrible.”
One resident said it’s just a horrific situation.
“I think it’s a sad state of our society,” he/she said.
Today, members of both shuls were trying to figure out why someone would target their botei knesses and everyone seems to have their own theory from terrorism to retaliation for the latest corruption controversy.
When asked why she thought the community was targeted, Braha blamed the July 24 corruption sting.
“With everything…all the scandals that went on last week,” Braha said.
Leonard Needle said past plots seem to be adding to new terror threats.
“As I think we’ve seen in Riverdale, N.Y., it’s going to feed upon itself and multiply,” Needle said.
Investigators have not released the nature of last night’s threat and could only say it came from outside N.J. So far there have been no arrests.
{WCBS-TV/Matzav.com Newscenter}
