Bomb threat at West Hempstead yeshiva was a hoax, Nassau police say

A bomb threat called into a West Hempstead yeshiva Saturday morning turned out to be hoax, Nassau County police said.

Officers responded to Hebrew Academy of Nassau County around 8 a.m., blocking off a section of Hempstead Avenue near the location, and searched the building with police dogs. Investigators also looked at the nearby synagogue, Young Israel of West Hempstead, before concluding that there was no bomb.

"A thorough and complete search was conducted with negative results," according to a department statement. "In the abundance of caution, additional searches were conducted in nearby places of worship, also concluding in negative results."

Police with dogs were seen canvassing the lot around a building on Hempstead Avenue, near the synagogue, where residents said services were disrupted as well as a private event that had to be rescheduled.

Many residents were left shaken to hear of the threat.

Jonathan Weitzman, a director of financing of Yeshiva Har Torah in Little Neck, Queens, was on his way to the synagogue with his wife and three children when he learned about the threat and was rerouted.

“This is where we pray every Saturday. It's part of our routine to come here,” he said.

“To tell them [his family] there are people who want to hurt us … How do you communicate that to three kids under 6 years old?” he said.

“Being Jewish is getting complicated in America.”

Additional patrols have been assigned to houses of worship and the investigation into the threat is ongoing, according to police.

With Janon Fisher