Federal authorities have met discreetly with leaders of Jewish organizations in recent days to advise them to take extra precautions In screening incoming mail, especially mail postmarked from Italy and Malaysia on the possibility that it may contain explosives, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency learned today. The authorities have warned Jewish leaders to scrutinize all their mail, whether letters or bulky packages, for any suspicious content.
If mall seems suspicious in any way, the authorities have advised the recipients to set it aside unopened and to call either police or postal authorities. They warned that this procedure should be followed even if the name of the sender is familiar to the recipient. Federal authorities have not said that any one Jewish organization or leader is earmarked to receive letter bombs but as one spokesman put it, “We’re covering the field in order to safeguard all organizations from any possible danger.”
The meetings with Jewish leaders were part of an intensive campaign announced by the White House following the spate of letter bombs mailed to Jewish and Israeli officials in this country and abroad, one of which killed an Israeli diplomat in London. Earlier letter bombs were postmarked in Amsterdam but the most recent ones have come from Malaysia.
NO ALARM AT HADASSAH OFFICE
Postal authorities in New York were checking all Hadassah mail today following receipt of letter bombs from Malaysia by Mrs. Rose L. Halprin, honorary vice-president of Hadassah and Hannah Greenberg, former executive director of the women’s Zionist organization. Mrs. Halprin received the booby-trapped letter yesterday at her home in Manhattan. The one addressed to Miss Greenberg came to the Hadassah office last Friday. Both letters were opened but in each case the explosive device inside failed to detonate.
Mrs. Halprin told the JTA today that there was “absolutely no alarm” at the Hadassah office which has about 100 employes, mostly women. She said the office routine has not been affected. Elaine Kaplan, executive secretary, said that stringent security measures have been introduced, explained to the staff and will be observed on a permanent basis.
She expressed satisfaction with the cooperation received from the postal authorities and said the mail screening was not affecting Hadassah’s operations. Miss Kaplan said that no suspect mall has been received at the office since Friday and that Hadassah has not received telephone threats as a result of the wide publicity given the letter bombs.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
