CSPD responds to threat made against Temple Shalom

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- The Colorado Springs Police Department responded to a threat against Temple Shalom on Thursday. According to CSPD, an unknown male threatened to go to the Temple with an AR-15 and a pipe bomb and "shoot and blow the place up."

CSPD determined it was a "Swatting" call. Swatting is when a person makes a fake 911 in order to get the police to respond.

However, the incident is another in a string of antisemitic events across the country.

"What goes through my mind is that this is strangely normal," Rabbi Jay Sherwood said. "When a threat comes in like this, unfortunately, it's not shocking to me. It's scary. It's horrible. It's terrible. But it's not a shock anymore."

Rabbi Sherwood says Thursday's threat against his synagogue and congregation is part of a significant uptick in antisemitic threats over recent years.

Now with the war in Iran, Rabbi Sherwood says there's been another uptick in antisemitic threats, something that seems to be the case nationwide.

Last month in Michigan, a man drove his vehicle into a Temple. In another incident, a Chicago man posted a threat on social media to shoot up a synagogue.

The rabbi says this current climate is something his congregates continue to have to navigate, even right here in Colorado Springs.

"There are those who are a little scared. And there are those who say we need to show up even more to make a statement that we're not going to be scared of terrorists who try to shut us down."

But Rabbi Sherwood also says they will not be intimidated.

"We know that if we give in to terror threats, if we give into terrorists, the Jewish community won't survive. We need to keep being proud of our Jewish community, of our Jewish heritage, and moving forward to celebrate the holiday of Passover, and to celebrate Shabbat every week, and to celebrate the holidays that will come throughout the year."

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