Molotov Cocktail Thrown At Bloomfield Synagogue, Officials Say

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — A lit Molotov cocktail was thrown at a Bloomfield synagogue early Sunday morning, according to authorities.

Around 3 a.m., a person wearing a ski mask threw the ignited weapon at Temple Ner Tamid, 936 Broad St., authorities said. Officers responded to the scene around 9:30 a.m., according to the Bloomfield public safety division.

Surveillance footage showed a man approach the synagogue with the Molotov cocktail, lighting the weapon, and throwing it at the door, law enforcement said, noting the glass bottle broke but did not damage the building. The suspect then fled, according to authorities.

"Everything worked as it should," Rabbi Marc Katz said in a news release, which credited the outcome to recent security enhancements funded by a grant from the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness.

"Our cameras recorded the incident and our shatter-resistant doors held."

Evidence of the attack was discovered Sunday morning as staff and security arrived, according to synagogue leadership, which added Temple Ner Tamid would share additional information as it became available. All activities at the synagogue were canceled Sunday and the temple anticipated a heightened police presence as the week continued.

“We have and will continue to do everything in our power to keep our community safe," Katz said in the news release.

Katz also addressed the need for spiritual resilience in the wake of the attack.

"There is hate everywhere, and hate wins when we let it penetrate," Katz said.

"When the weight of this grows too heavy, I remind my congregation that every day, despite what is happening, in Jewish communities around the world, babies are named, children are educated, and people are married. Our religious traditions continue. No act of hate can stop the power of religious freedom.”

Bloomfield Mayor Michael Venezia on Sunday offered his prayers for the Jewish community.

"Our Police Department is investigating the situation along with the Prosecutors office," Venezia said in a Facebook post. "Hate and antisemitism will not be tolerated and have no place in our welcoming community."

In addition to working to identify and apprehend the suspect in Bloomfield, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said he had been made aware of an attack Saturday on members of a church in Monmouth County that may have been motivated by bias.

"We are cognizant of the fact that these attacks have occurred while violence continues to erupt in Israel, and while our own nation reckons with violence at home," Platkin said in a prepared statement.

"I want to reassure all New Jerseyans — especially our friends and neighbors of the Black community and the Jewish faith — that law enforcement continues to take the appropriate steps to increase our presence around sensitive places so that everyone in our state can worship, love, and live without fear of violence or threat."

In Livingston, police increased patrols at area temples and urged residents to contact law enforcement if they witnessed anything suspicious.

“This incident comes amidst a climate of intimidation and intolerance, and a rising tide of anti-Jewish hate crimes and hate speech against Jews,” Dov Ben-Shimon and David Saginaw, CEO and president, respectively, of the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ, said in a prepared statement.

“Our Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ will continue to work with all partners in the community to stand up to hate, build our resilience, and promote safety and security.”

In 2021, the Anti-Defamation League documented 370 antisemitic incidents in New Jersey, the highest number ever recorded in the state and the second-highest number of any state for 2021.

A joint statement was issued Sunday by the federation along with the Anti-Defamation League of New York and New Jersey, the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey, the American Jewish Committee, the Community Security Service and the Community Security Initiative.

"We are outraged to learn of last night's attempted arson at a Greater MetroWest synagogue in New Jersey," the statement said. "This incident comes at a moment when we have seen a spike in antisemitic incidents, including the recent threat in November to New Jersey Synagogues. It also took place on the heels of International Holocaust Remembrance Day when we are reminded of where such horrific actions can lead."

In November, the FBI reported it had received information about a threat to an unspecified New Jersey synagogue, but quickly identified the source of the threat and determined there was no longer a danger to the community.

U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill was in communication Sunday with law enforcement and pledged to work to end such intolerance and violence.

"My prayers are with Rabbi Marc Katz and the Ner Tamid community," Sherrill said in a prepared statement. “Although I am grateful that damage was minimal and no one was injured, I am heartbroken and angry today.

"Anti-Semitic hatred is on the rise in our state, our country, and around the world, and we all must work together to eradicate it. Our Jewish neighbors are beloved community members — friends, loved ones, and leaders. Attacks against them are attacks against all of us, and we all have a responsibility to stand up against anti-Semitism wherever it rears its head."

Anyone with information about the incident Sunday is asked to call Bloomfield detectives at 973-680-4084 or email videos to detectives@bloomfieldnjpd.com.