Police Prepared For Threats In Abington With Passover Start

ABINGTON TOWNSHIP, PA —With about a dozen synagogues in the area, police departments are on high alert this week with the start of Passover.

Passover, which begins at sundown, is an eight-day Jewish holiday that is celebrated in the early spring, from the 15th through the 22nd of the Hebrew month of Nissan.

And with the Hamas war in Israel, police departments are prepared for any potential threats to religious institutions.

“We’re fully aware of the tensions in the Middle East, the current temperature of antisemitic acts happening all across the country,” Lt. Steven Fink, Abington Township Police Department, said. “We’re working with our federal, state, local law enforcement officers in the intelligence community to make sure we’re getting all the intelligence we need.”

The Abington Township Police Department and the Cheltenham Township Police Department were featured recently on NBC10 Philadelphia regarding their work in addressing antisemitic threats during Passover, which begins Monday, April 22.

Lt. Andrew Snyder of the Cheltenham Township Police Department said police have to patrol around seven synagogues throughout the township.

This year, Passover falls from April 22 to April 30.

Passover (Pesach) commemorates the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt. Pesach is observed by avoiding leaven, and highlighted by the Seder meals that include four cups of wine, eating matzah and bitter herbs, and retelling the story of the Exodus.

In Hebrew, it is known as Pesach (which means “to pass over”), because G‑d passed over the Jewish homes when killing the Egyptian firstborn on the very first Passover eve, according to Wikipedia.