Police respond to incident at synagogue – Butler Eagle

This stained glass window featuring a shofar horn symbolizing Rosh Hashanah is part of the Congregation B’nai Abraham synagogue. Eagle archive photo

A package left in the mailbox of Congregation B’nai Abraham, 519 N. Main St., Butler, contained drawings and writings from “someone who is likely having a mental health crisis,” according to Ben Vincent, the synagogue’s caretaker. Butler City police and a bomb disposal squad responded to the synagogue on Monday evening, June 17, Vincent said.

Cantor Michal Gray-Schaffer, the synagogue’s spiritual leader, said she called police “out of an abundance of caution” after receiving a “disturbing phone call” Monday afternoon from a person who did not appear to be clearly understanding. About an hour later, a person showed up on the synagogue’s property and left a package in the mailbox.

Gray-Schaffer said the synagogue was evacuated by police.

Vincent said authorities told him around 6 p.m. that the box did not contain a bomb. The writing on it also did not indicate anything “hateful or anti-Semitic,” he said.

“Everyone is doing well,” Gray-Schaffer said.

Although the incident has left the community “very unsettled,” Vincent said his deepest sympathy goes out to the person who left the box behind and who he believes needs mental health help.

“When you have certain types of (mental) illnesses, it’s part of it,” he said. “But once you understand where they come from, you kind of understand.”

Vincent said he was relieved that everyone was safe, but stressed that people should be vigilant.

“Unfortunately, we have to live like this,” he said. “We have to be on high alert.”

“If you see something, say something,” he said. “We can’t take anything for granted. We just don’t live in that kind of world.”