A group of ‘online trolls’ have made fake bomb threats and antisemitic calls to more than two-dozen synagogues across the US, a Jewish organisation has said. 

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) said the group had targeted at least 26 synagogues and two ADL offices across 12 states over the last four weekends.

The ADL believes the instigators are selecting their targets based on the availability of live streamed services and other events. They are motivated by their desire to watch the congregations react to the threats in real time. 

Last weekend, two synagogues in California were evacuated after bomb threats were made by anonymous people via phone.

Temple Beth Torah, a Reform congregation in Fremont, evacuated its building on Friday evening after receiving a call to the synagogue at around 8pm. 

Responding police evacuated members inside, and searched the building and surrounding area, but didn’t find any suspicious devices or people.

Meanwhile congregants at Temple Beth Tikvah, a Reform congregation in Fullerton, were forced to flee during a Shabbat service after a bomb threat was received at around midday.

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Temple Beth Tikvah in Fullerton, US (Photo: Google Maps)

Beth Tikvah’s Facebook livestream of the service captures the moment the threat made its way to the prayer leaders.

Rabbi Mati Kirschenbaum places one hand on the shoulder of Cantor Shannon McGrady Bane, causing her to stop singing. He says: "I am afraid that we need to stop and leave the building right now."

Cantor McGrady Bane removes her headset and then exits the camera’s view as a message goes up for viewers: “Coverage will be stopping.”

Rabbi Kirschenbaum added: “Sadly, this is something that many temples, many Jewish houses of worship… have to live with.”

Oren Segal, vice president of the ADL’s Centre on Extremism, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency: “This is what happens when individuals coalesce around their hatred of Jews and use technology to try to optimise that.”

Segal said synagogue leaders should be aware that “bad actors” may seek to manipulate them.

He added: “What makes this different is that this is a particular campaign using tools that many of us take for granted but that we can see are weaponised.

“As people go into the High Holidays, it’s just another thing to be concerned about and to be prepared for.”

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CEO of the ADL and former Obama administration official Jonathan Greenblatt (Photo: Handout)

Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO and national director of the ADL, said the group was working with law enforcement and other community members to prevent the “ongoing disruption to Jewish prayer services, as well as additional targets, by a group of online trolls who swat and call in fake bomb threats.”

He added: “These trolls, who employ highly antisemitic language during their calls, have targeted over two dozen synagogues and two ADL offices.

“They also appear to have expanded their targets, including several African-American churches and a news organisation.”

It comes after synagogues and other Jewish institutions across the US were issued with previous threats. 

One includes a spate of bomb threats at day schools and Jewish community centres in 2017 that was later attributed to a teenager in Israel.