Hate mail in Boulder

ENVELOPES CONTAINING white powder — one of them accompanied by a note saying “your (sic) have enemies” — forced the closure of two Boulder Jewish institutions this week.

The Boulder JCC and Congregation Har Hashem received the envelopes on Monday, April 6, and both institutions immediately evacuated and closed their buildings and contacted emergency responders.

When a JCC staffer opened a “suspicious piece of mail” — containing both powder and the note — early Monday, the center was immediately evacuated and closed and the Boulder County Sheriff was contacted.

A staff member at Har Hashem also opened a suspicious envelope containing powder Monday morning, resulting in immediate closure and evacuation of the Reform synagogue.

Later Monday, after Boulder sheriff and fire personnel had secured the JCC and Har Hashem facilities and surrounding areas in Boulder, authorities announced that the material inside the envelope was non-hazardous.

The Boulder sheriff’s office reportedly told the ADL office in Denver that the two envelopes “appear similar in nature.”

In a Monday statement issued by Boulder JCC leaders, the institution commended “the actions taken by our staff to immediately ensure the safety and well-being to everyone who was in the building this morning.

“Because the proper security procedures were in place, we were able to respond quickly and carefully to the situation at hand. We are also incredibly grateful for the swift response and cooperation we received from the Boulder County Sheriff’s office.”

The statement was signed by executive director Jonathan Lev; EC youth and family director Susie Valdez; and board president Matt Rich.

It went on to say that the Boulder JCC expected to reopen Tuesday morning, with a normal schedule including preschool, programs, classes and administrative hours.

“Jewish institutions face unique security concerns, which is why we are continually reviewing and evaluating our security protocols,” the statement read.

“We are committed to maintaining the highest level of safety for everyone who walks in our doors and for the community at large. At this time we are still working with authorities who remain on site.”

RABBI MARK Glickman of Congregation Har Hashem told the Intermountain Jewish News on Tuesday that members of his synagogue have been mostly stoical since a similar envelope was opened there on Monday.

“A few members were concerned when they heard the news but overwhelmingly their minds were set at ease when they found that it was a harmless substance,” Rabbi Glickman said.

“There really is very little effect beyond that initial concern. What we know is that somebody sent some envelopes to the Jewish community with some nasty notes and an innocuous substance inside. It’s disheartening but it’s Pesach and we’ll redouble our efforts to observe the holiday in a good way.”

The rabbi added that there was also a note in the Har Hashem envelope, but the staff person who opened it at the synagogue immediately closed it when the envelope was opened, took it outside the building and waited for police to safely remove it from the premises.

“So frankly, we didn’t see what the note said,” Rabbi Glickman said.

He is taking a glass-half-full approach to the incident, keeping in mind that it could have been worse.

“It’s a reminder of the fact that as wonderful a community as we live in, and as great a time as it is for us Jews, there are people who don’t like us and that if they wanted to harm us, they could have done that.

“So it’s a reminder that things are not yet perfect for the Jews in America or the Jews in Boulder. In times past, hatred toward Jews came out in the forms of horrible oppression and unconscionable violence. In this particular incident it was relatively harmless, so we’re going to go on and feel fortunate that it wasn’t anything worse.”

Speaking to the IJN this week, Boulder JCC director Lev emphasized that the organization is taking “every potential threat with the utmost seriousness,” including this week’s event.

“The safety of our children and of everyone who walks into our doors is our top priority.”

The center’s safety and security committee has met several times since the incident to review procedures and Lev has had conversations with his staff and board as well as preschool parents.

“We’re open to all feedback and ideas,” he said.

“I think every single person has their own reaction to something like this,” Lev said of the JCC’s clientele and staff. “There’s a wide variety. It’s a process for each person to go through.”

Speaking for himself, he said that “as a Jewish professional I’ve dealt with many different crisis situations. This is the first time I’ve dealt with this particular situation but I’m no stranger to all the different possibilities and scenarios that could come up.”

The primary lesson to be derived from the threatening letter received on Monday, Lev said, is that such situations have to be taken seriously.

“This was an isolated incident and we’ve had no additional threats associated with this,” he said, “but that doesn’t mean we’re going to be any less vigilant when it comes to safety and security.”

THE ADL mountain states chapter issued a security advisory on Monday, after news of the Boulder threats was released.

“ADL suggests all Jewish institutions take extra caution in observing mail before opening it and in opening envelopes and packages. Suspicious envelopes, packages and strange devices should be promptly reported to the police or security personnel.”

A statement released by ADL later in the day expressed gratitude to Boulder law enforcement authorities.

“Even though the contents of the envelopes turned out not to be toxic, they were clearly sent to scare the staff, members and others who may visit these institutions. We commend the staffs of these institutions for taking immediate action to protect their communities, including contacting law enforcement upon noting they were in receipt of suspicious envelopes.

“We also applaud the quick action of the first responders and law enforcement agencies that responded to both institutions. We encourage both local and federal law enforcement agencies to fully investigate these incidents and to investigate all possible motives, including investigating the incidents as potential hate crimes.

“These incidents serve as a reminder that we must all be vigilant about security.”

ADL regional director Scott Levin told the IJN this week that the nature of the Boulder crime is not similar to any other recent incidents in the region.

“We have not seen anything similar to this in a number of years in the Denver-Boulder area,” Levin said.

“All we know now is that law enforcement is investigating all the different possibilities. We’ve encouraged law enforcement to investigate it fully as a hate crime. We have every reason to believe that they’re pursuing all those different leads and angles.”

Levin confirmed this week that both federal and local law enforcement agencies are working on the Boulder JCC case.

This week’s threat — which came in the middle of the Passover holiday — had a particularly hateful dimension, even though the material sent to the Boulder JCC was not toxic, he added.

“To do this in a place where there are preschool children, or where people are going to pray, is particularly insidious,” Levin said.

This week’s incident was not the first time that unidentified powder has been used to intimidate a local Jewish institution.

Several years ago, the ADL itself faced a similar situation when then regional director Bruce DeBoskey opened an envelope in his Denver office containing a similar substance. It turned out to be talcum powder.

Chris Leppek may be reached at [email protected].

Copyright © 2015 by the Intermountain Jewish News