A Jewish community center in the US was evacuated on Monday after a worker opened an envelope containing a threatening message along with white powder that appeared to be harmless, according to police.
The letter was sent to the Boulder Jewish Community Center which hosts a daycare center and kindergarten, as well as cultural and educational programs. The message read: "your (sic) have enemies."
The threat came during Pessach, the Jewish holiday of Passover, when Jews commemorate their liberation from bondage in ancient Egypt.
Police and fire personnel secured the building and went through the necessary protocol to ensure everyone's safety. After a thorough investigation, police confirmed the powder contained in the envelope was non-hazardous.
Crews from the county's health department and hazardous materials team conducted a field test on the powder and determined it was "benign," police said, adding that an investigation into the source of the letter is underway.
The Jewish Communityu Center stressed that ‘’Jewish institutions face unique security concerns, which is why we are continually reviewing and evaluating our security protocols. We are committed to maintaining the highest level of safety for everyone who walks in our doors and for the community at large.’’
"We place the safety and well-being of our community as our highest priority," the statement said.
Last month a Missouri white supremacist pleaded not guilty to capital murder charges in the fatal shooting last April of three people outside two Jewish centers in a Kansas City suburb.
Frazier Glenn Cross Jr., 74, a former senior member of the Ku Klux Klan who has repeatedly made derogatory remarks in the courtroom about Jewish people, could face the death penalty if convicted. His trial is set to begin in August.