How does it feel to be the target of an anti-Semitic bomb threat hoax?

This is a guest essay by SHJ board member Susan Rubin, who is also a founding member of the Secular Humanist Jewish Circle in Tucson, AZ.

How does it feel to be the target of an anti-Semitic bomb threat hoax?

When I read the bomb threat message two weeks ago on the Secular Humanist Jewish Circle (SHJC) email account, my first reaction was to ignore it because I knew it was a hoax. “There are multiple explosives placed inside your synagogue. The explosives are well hidden and they will go off in a few hours. I WILL MAKE SURE YOU ALL END UP DEAD.”

We don’t have a building.  Not to worry, I said to myself. Then I read it again. I saw the other names included in the email. They were all Jewish. They might have buildings. That is when I began to feel scared. I dialed 911 and explained why I was calling. The operator answered immediately. When she heard why I was calling she transferred me to another line.  A young dimple faced county sheriff was at my door in less than ten minutes. He was dressed in full gear. He had never had a call like this before. He took my information and went back to his car. A few minutes later the doorbell rang and he was back. “I have a few more questions Ma’am.”  I answered his questions and provided more details; he took a picture of the e-mail and left again.  There was a third visit for additional clarification, he gave me his card with his phone number if I had any follow up questions and he left.

I was pretty shaken. I called the officer the next morning to follow up. He said that the information was passed on to the appropriate Tucson authorities, the state police (there were rabbis and synagogues throughout the state included in the distribution list of the threat) and the FBI. He said that this weekend bomb -threat was nation-wide. It might even have originated from another country.

So I kept checking the news, our local paper, the news on line and even the New York Times, nothing.  I called the Southern Arizona Jewish Philanthropies. Yes, it was a hoax.  They received word of the threat and have passed it on to the appropriate channels. This was not the first time.

Are we so used to this sort of threat that it is not newsworthy?  Finally one of my favorite cable news commentators mentioned the nation-wide email threat to hundreds of Jewish religious and community organizations. It was an example of how there is a growing effort to make us all afraid.

We cannot be complacent about hate. It took me a while for the bomb threat email to SHJC to sink in. We are a small group of secular Jews who have a low profile. I have always felt safe and protected in this country.  But lately I think twice about wearing Judaic jewelry or displaying Jewish art around my house. I can imagine armed terrorists dressed in black coming out of the bushes on the street near my home.

When I thought about posting this piece I worried about using my real name. Will this target me, my kids, and my grandkids? Should I speak with them first? I talked with my husband and I sat with myself for a while, turning this over in my head.  I reminded myself of all the heroes of our current world who speak up and stand up to fear and intimidation. Maybe they were scared before they decided to do the right thing. Then I got mad at myself for being afraid and I could not let it go.  It feels good to put this story into words, but I am still afraid.

— Susan Rubin, President SHJC