SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Local synagogues and Jewish institutions are on high alert following false bomb threats on Tuesday.
"I wish I could say I'm surprised by it, but I'm not," Heidi Gantwerk, the President and CEO of the Jewish Federation of San Diego, said.
The Jewish Federation of San Diego (JFSD) said six synagogues received emails about bomb threats, prompting temporary evacuations.
The organization asked to keep those synagogues anonymous for safety reasons. They were among 91 Jewish institutions across California targeted.
"While they are crimes, there is no information that there are any active threats against the Jewish community here in San Deigo or around the country right now," JFSD Community Security Director Bill Ganley said.
The incident is the latest in an increase in antisemitic acts against the Jewish community.
The Secure Community Network, which helps with security at synagogues across the U.S., received more than 700 threats between Dec. 13 and Jan. 1.
Gantwerk said that while the threats are not real, the goal is to make Jewish people feel unsafe.
"They maybe won't want to bring their kids to school that day, or they don't want to show up to synagogue that day," Gantwerk said.
The organization said Jewish institutions have beefed up security and training in recent years and even more so after Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
"What we're encouraging our organizations to do is to remain in a heightened state of situational awareness. To be aware of your surroundings," Ganley said.
While the fake threats may have impacted Jewish institutions security-wise, Gantwerk said it did not impact the spirit of the Jewish community.
"What we're seeing is participation growing in Jewish life because people want to participate. They want to be involved in the community, and the steps that we're taking are making people feel safe," Gantwerk said.
