Nassau police: Emailed bomb threat to Temple Beth Am of Merrick and Bellmore deemed not credible

Police arrived around 4:30 a.m. to investigate. The temple says officers used bomb-sniffing dogs and special machinery to check closed receptacles.

Bob Doda

Sep 17, 2023, 5:10 PM

Updated 388 days ago

Share:

Nassau police responded to Temple Beth Am of Merrick and Bellmore early Sunday morning following an emailed bomb threat.
Police arrived around 4:30 a.m. to investigate. The temple says officers used bomb-sniffing dogs and special machinery to check closed receptacles.
“The threat has been deemed not credible at this time,” according to a statement from Nassau police. “NCPD will keep extra cars in the area throughout the day out of an abundance of caution.”
In the email, the sender said they placed multiple bombs inside the temple. The email also had a Western Pennsylvania area code with instructions for the temple to call the number.
The threat comes amid Rosh Hashanah, which began at sunset on Friday and ended at sunset Sunday night.
Rabbi Mickey Baum and congregants of the temple said they would pray for the person who sent in the bomb threat as well as others who are struggling with hate. They added that this act of intolerance would not deter their holy observance.
Prayer service at the temple was delayed for 30 minutes but resumed for parishioners.
Baum said the community is comprised of all races and religions and that hate of any kind will not be tolerated.
"We will not be deterred by these kinds of threats. The service went on as normal, and people came here. We are proud of our congregants and people in our community came by to see what was going on. We just want hatred to end," he said.