#treeoflifesynagogue

A fictitious bomb threat was made to the Tree of Life synagogue, the location of the 2018 mass shooting, and Pittsburgh police are looking into it. The ADL has reported on a troubling increase in antisemitic threats against Jewish institutions, which includes the episode in question.

The Tree of Life synagogue was the scene of a tragic massacre in 2018 that left eleven people dead. Pittsburgh police are currently looking into a fictitious bomb threat that was made to the synagogue on Tuesday. According to a local police spokesperson, the threat was promptly determined to be a hoax, which is in line with a recent wave of similar threats that have been made against synagogues across the country.

After receiving the threat via email late on Tuesday morning, law enforcement quickly determined it was a hoax. Police spokesman Cara Cruz stated, "It was very quickly determined to be a hoax," drawing attention to the persistent problem of threats of this kind made against Jewish institutions.

On October 27, 2018, Robert Bowers opened fire at the Tree of Life synagogue, killing 11 people and injuring seven more in a hate crime. Bowers was given the death penalty after being found guilty on 63 counts, including hate crimes, in June 2023. The 2018 mass shooting and the subsequent hoax threat have not been connected by the authorities.

This fake bomb threat is a part of an alarming pattern that the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has noticed. The ADL revealed in April that there was a sharp rise in bomb threats against Jewish institutions in the United States last year as compared to 2022. 

Israel on October 7 by Hamas militants and the ensuing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. The escalation of threats highlights the ongoing and expanding problem of antisemitism and the necessity of security and alertness in Jewish communities.

It is a somber reminder of the tragedy of 2018's lasting effects and the continuous difficulties Jewish institutions face in guaranteeing their safety, even as the investigation into the most recent threat is ongoing.

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Hey, fellow Tumblrers, I am your newest member of Tumblr and I am here to tell you all about what it’s like being an American Jew in today’s crazy world. I will start off by saying that I enjoy learning about people, their cultures, and I always have an open mind when it comes to different religions. I consider myself a spiritual Jew rather than a religious Jew. I enjoy the festival of lights whether it is Christmas or Hanukkah, and I love dressing up with my family on Halloween and Purim. Basically, if the day involves food, family, friends, or meeting new people, I want to be involved and celebrate on whatever day it might be, or I will make up an excuse to celebrate! Community and my identity are very important to me since I come from a large family in which I naturally talk like I am yelling at a crowd because I think no one can hear me.  That is why I have chosen Now that you know a little about me, I would like to paint you a little picture of what our world is coming too.

Imagine living in a place where you are in a constant state of fear and worry, living amongst people who feel as though you do not belong, or when you turn your head up to the sky all you see are rockets coming your way. For Israelis, this is their typical day, and it has been like this since 1948 (25,519 days) when they first were recognized as a country.  However, the difference is that they do not live in constant fear since they follow specific procedures and strategies developed by the IDF, who are known for being the most technologically advanced military in the world. For example, “since 1985, Israel is the world’s largest exporter of drones, responsible for about 60 percent of the global market” (Katz,2017). So, Israelis’ know exactly what to do when they are in a crisis. However, it is different here in America, because we are sheltered in the sense that our news channels do not cover the anti-Semitic issues that Jews are facing in Israel. For example, “after a month of intense fighting between Israel and Hamas, there were hardly any images shown in Western media of Hamas terrorists holding guns or Hamas terrorists engaged in hostile activities against Israel” (Behar,2014). Hence, that is why America was so shocked to witness the most recent mass-shooting (on October 28th, 2018), in Pittsburgh, because as Americans, we have never been exposed to this type of violence even though it wasn’t the first time Americans were victims of a hate crime, but per WPXI it was the worst mass-shooting in state history (AJC,2018). It was when I realized that anti-Semitism was not just in Israel, but it has now come to our home. It was a time where it instilled fear amongst not just Jews, but everyone across the country when they found out Bill Bowers, a 46-year-old man, who casually walked in to The Tree of Life Synagogue on Shabbat (Jewish Sabbath), holding four handguns. It could have been a church, a Mandir, a mosque, or any other house of prayer. I feel that Americans are not as prepared as Israelis’ are when it comes to major violence like mass shooters, that cause major disturbance amongst our families, friends, neighbors, or even strangers- our nation.

America, now is the time to come together. According to the former Tree of Life synagogue rabbi, “politicians should “get off their rear ends” after synagogue massacre” (NBC News, 2018). Clearly, our government and the NRA can’t control issues of mass shootings that have been going for many years now. For instance, when President Trump was asked a question on if he will start they will relook at gun laws, he stated “Gun laws have ‘little to do’ with the outcome of Pittsburgh synagogue” ((ABC World News Tonight with David Muir, 2018). After thinking a lot about what our country has been experiencing relating to mass shootings that have been going, whether they are due to mental health, hate crimes, or anything else, I wanted to focus on studying the #StrongerThanHate, which is mainly focused on anti-Semitism. I would like to also point out that Jewish people are big on establishing an identity, due to all the anti-Semitism that our parents, grandparents, great-grandparents (and so on) have experience up to today. So, coming together as a community “provides comfort and shows strength”(Chandler, 2018). However, I regret not doing it enough, but now I am motivated too after this tragic. Having a voice and speaking up for what we believe is right is why people today rely so much on interactive technologies such as social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) and websites like Tumblr, Reddit and YouTube, etc. Today, everyone wants to express themselves, and that is why we are so lucky to be living in today’s digital age where we have a global reach. The New Media that we have access to allows us to be heard by everyone who stumbles and/or reaches for our message.

I have chosen to study this #strongerthanhate, because I feel that we all need to brainstorm together, and learn to effectively talk about the issues we are facing as a nation regarding all the hate plaguing our country, because it is a touchy subject in which I feel people are nervous to confront. This would also help me shape my opinions on gun control and what strategies I think we should take to help stop hate-crimes in the future since I never gave it any thought because I am not a political person at all. We no longer can just leave it in the hands of those people who we think have the power. We have the power since we are the people who come from the land of freedom and opportunity. Hence, I stand strongly behind #StrongerThanHate as a fellow Jew, American, and human being.