Bomb scare at HAFTR

According to authorities the Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway High School in Cedarhurst had a bomb scare on Nov. 8.

HAFTR officials said that at 2:30 p.m., they received a printed note that stated that a bomb had been planted on the school campus at the intersection of Central and Locust avenues.

“Following school protocol, we notified the Fourth police precinct and evacuated the school population to Temple Beth El,” school officials stated in a news release. Temple Beth El is at the intersection of Locust Avenue and Broadway in Cedarhurst. “The evacuation was rapid, orderly and as per protocol. After students and faculty were relocated to Beth El, the Fourth Precinct's K-9 unit did a thorough inspection of the building, and reported that no device was discovered and the building was clear.”

HAFTR Principal Naomi Lippman, Judaic Studies Principal Rabbi Gedaliah Oppen and Assistant Principal Joshua Wyner said that the school’s administrators, teachers, and security guards took part in a “calm, organized evacuation.”

The students were cooperative, mature and respectful during the evacuation and relocation, the school officials added.

“We are very grateful to Temple Beth El and their executive director, Mr. (Edward) Edelstein, for opening their doors and welcoming us immediately to their building,” the school release read. They added an appreciation for the work of Leslie Gang, HAFTR’s director of Admissions and Communications for communicating with the students’ parents. “In addition, we appreciate the offers of assistance that we received from the administrators of HALB (Hebrew Academy of Long Beach) and (Yeshiva) South Shore, as well as the Lawrence School District,” the officials said.

The building was secured and regularly scheduled night time activities took place, the officials said.