Local Jewish leaders on Monday urged their faithful to remain steadfast and resilient following disturbances at synagogues in the Rochester region over the weekend.
Temple B’rith Kodesh in Brighton paused its Rosh Hashana services Friday evening when a man disrupted the ceremony ranting about hell and the messiah. The services resumed shortly after the man was removed by security.
That incident was followed on Sunday by bomb threats at area temples, including Temple Beth-El in Geneva and Congregation Etz Chaim in Perinton. Etz Chaim’s did not have an active service at the time, but it shares a building with Mountain Rise United Church of Christ, whose worshippers were evacuated.
The threats issued to both temples were nearly identical, and searches conducted by the Geneva Police Department and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office turned up no evidence of bombs in either synagogue.
“These acts are designed to cause disruption, engender fear, and stop us from participating in Jewish life,” said Meredith Dragon, chief executive officer of the Jewish Federation of Greater Rochester. “The best thing we can do is be strong, continue to show up, and participate.”
The man at B’rith Kodesh was removed quickly from the service by temple security, and Brighton Police later took him into custody. Police Chief David Catholdi said the department hasn’t filed charges against the man, but that the investigation into the incident is ongoing. He added that the man is known to law enforcement but declined to say how or to identify him.
“It was threatening behavior,” Catholdi said. “When you’re in a church setting or a synagogue setting, when it’s really quiet, and you stand up in the middle of this setting and start rambling loudly, it really causes concern.”
Events like those in Brighton, Perinton, and Geneva have become increasingly common occurrences over the past few years, as antisemitic rhetoric has been on the rise. In its 2022 annual report, the Anti-Defamation League said that compared to the previous year there was an estimated 29% increase in antisemitic harassment incidents, a 51% increase in vandalism, and a 26% increase in assaults.
This coincides with more prominent and influential figures in media and politics latching onto antisemitic conspiracy theories. For example, on Sunday, Elon Musk posted on his social media site X, formerly Twitter, that “the Soros organization appears to want nothing less than the destruction of western civilization,” an allusion to the long-running conspiracy theory that banker and philanthropist George Soros, who is Jewish, is essentially controlling world affairs.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, the last day of Rosh Hashana, former president and Republican frontrunner candidate Donald Trump posted on his social media site, Truth Social, that “liberal Jews” had voted to destroy America and Israel.
Incidents like the 2018 mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, which left 11 dead and six wounded, have also kept the Jewish community on edge.
B’rith Kodesh Rabbi Peter Stein said he encourages his community to remain steadfast and united.
“It is very scary,” Stein said. “I think everybody’s mind Friday when this began was putting it into that broader context of the tragic antisemitism and violence that we’ve experienced. There’s also incredible resolve, there’s a very long chain of history, a very long chain of tradition, and we’re going to work with the experts and those who take very good care of us and keep us safe.”
