© Katie Goodale, Katie Goodale / USA TODAY NETWORK
(New York, NY) — The NYPD is stepping up patrols outside synagogues and other houses of worship across the city, after more than 20 synagogues received bomb threats this past weekend. No bombs were found in any of the buildings. Police are not sure where the emailed threats came from, but they do believe they are connected to the unrest in the Middle East.
One of the synagogues that received the threat was Congregation Rodeph Sholom on the Upper West Side. The rabbi there says police evacuated the building and did an extensive search before giving the all clear. It was a similar drill for other synagogues that received the same threat.
The emails came on the same day that New York Senator Chuck Schumer told houses of worship that an additional 400-million-dollars in federal funds has been made available to boost security. The money is part of a federal program called the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which aims to plug potential holes in security in houses of worship.
