Atlanta Police are investigating a bomb threat made Wednesday against a Jewish museum and nonprofit agency that forced building evacuations and street closures in busy Midtown. Officials have not said if they know who made the bomb threat.
The Atlanta Police Department closed Spring Street between 19th and 17th streets and other area streets after a bomb threat was phoned into 1440 Spring St. NW at about 3 p.m. The Breman Museum and Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta are located at the address. Both were evacuated while Atlanta Police and MARTA Police K-9 officers searched the area.
Police also evacuated and searched The Temple located on Peachtree Street, north of the 1440 Spring St. site. The Temple is Atlanta’s oldest Jewish congregation and was bombed in 1958.
“Out of an abundance of caution, 1589 Peachtree St. NE [The Temple] was also swept and cleared by Atlanta Police K-9 officers,” APD said in a news release. “Atlanta Police Homeland Security investigators responded to the scene. The investigation continues.”
No hazardous or dangerous materials were found, according to the APD.
Eric Robbins, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, said in a social media post the bomb scare was an “unfortunate incident.”
“While this unfortunate incident was triggered by individuals with misguided intentions, it underscores the resilience of our organization, our community, and our city,” Robbins said.
“It is during these challenging moments that the true strength of our collective spirit shines through, as we come together to navigate and respond to these regrettable situations.”
The Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta and Breman Museum said in a social media post they were grateful for local police and for their own safety protocols in place through its Community-Wide Security program and the Secure Community Network. SCN is the official safety and security organization for the Jewish community.
“Earlier today we received a bomb threat on our building and we evacuated. Keeping our staff and tenants safe was the #1 priority, and we are grateful that all of our protocols were in place thanks to the daily work of our Community-Wide Security program under the guidance of Secure Community Network,” the post said.
“We are immensely appreciative of the Atlanta Police Department (APD) and MARTA Police who sent their squads to our facility and conducted all necessary thorough checks to ensure our safety and provide us with the all-clear. We would also like to thank the Center for Puppetry Arts, our neighbor across the street, for graciously opening their facility to us and going above and beyond to keep everyone comfortable. APD is conducting the ongoing investigation,” the post said.
The bomb threat against the Breman Museum and the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta is the latest in a series of antisemitic incidents that have occurred this year in metro Atlanta, including Dunwoody and Sandy Springs.
State and federal lawmakers condemned antisemitism after Nazi rallies were held in Cobb County and Macon during a weekend in late June. The same weekend, antisemitic flyers and other propaganda were found in Sandy Springs and Warner Robbins.
In April, residents in the Lake Claire, Candler Park and Kirkwood neighborhoods discovered antisemitic and anti-transgender flyers on their sidewalks and driveways.
Residents in Dunwoody and Sandy Springs neighborhoods were targeted with antisemitic flyers in early February. Hundreds gathered later that month at Temple-Emanu-El in Sandy Springs to bring awareness to and condemn antisemitism activities locally and nationally.