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Threatening messages, and an arrest, bring antisemitism close to home for a New York rabbi

JL;DR SUMMARY Rabbi Matt Cutler of Congregation Gates of Heaven in Schenectady, NY, faced antisemitic threats that were swiftly addressed by police, highlighting a broader climate of heightened vigilance in Jewish communities as global tensions rise. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

Jewish CommunityNew YorkHate CrimesCommunity SupportLaw EnforcementThreatsCommunity ResponseVigilanceRabbi Matt Cutler

Places mentioned

Schenectady, New York, United States
"The notice was timely for Cutler, the leader of the Reform synagogue Congregation Gates of Heaven in Schenectady, New York, who was speaking with a local TV station about heightened anxieties in his community following the attack on a synagogue in Detroit that day."
Detroit, Michigan, United States
"who was speaking with a local TV station about heightened anxieties in his community following the attack on a synagogue in Detroit that day."
Troy, New York, United States
"The man accused of making the threats, Joshua J. Wood, 45, of Troy, New York, was arrested Thursday evening in Brunswick, New York, by police with the assistance of the New York State Police Counterterrorism Intelligence Unit and the FBIs Joint Terrorism Task Forces."
Brunswick, New York, United States
"Joshua J. Wood, 45, of Troy, New York, was arrested Thursday evening in Brunswick, New York, by police with the assistance of the New York State Police Counterterrorism Intelligence Unit and the FBIs Joint Terrorism Task Forces."
Macon, Georgia, United States
"Last month, a North Carolina man was convicted and sentenced to prison for sending antisemitic threats to Rabbi Elizabeth Bahar of Temple Beth Israel in Macon, Georgia, in February 2024."
North Carolina, United States
"Last month, a North Carolina man was convicted and sentenced to prison for sending antisemitic threats to Rabbi Elizabeth Bahar of Temple Beth Israel in Macon, Georgia, in February 2024."
Alabama, United States
"Last October, an Alabama man was charged with sending threatening messages to religious leaders across the South, including one rabbi who he told, I want you to die."

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Retrieved 2026-03-20 05:30:52 UTC
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