Three consecutive anti-Semitic incidents hit US Chabad centers

Three Chabad-Lubavitch centers were hit by separate incidents on Friday, sparking concern and shock throughout local communities. 

An arson attack targeted the Chabad center in Charlotte County, Florida, a bomb threat prompted the evacuation of the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) center, and an argument escalated into a stabbing at the UCLA Chabad center in Los Angeles.

Shortly after the Friday evening service concluded, an unidentified individual threw an incendiary device into a classroom at the Chabad of Charlotte County center, led by Rabbi Simon Jacobson. The fire quickly spread, but firefighters, who arrived urgently, were able to contain the damage to a single room. 

The building was also vandalized with the letter "J" spray-painted onto it several times. Police have opened an arson investigation.

Around 5 PM that afternoon, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department was alerted to a suspicious package near the university's Chabad center. The building was evacuated and the bomb squad was deployed. After nearly three hours of investigation, the item was found to be harmless, and operations were resumed. The Chabad center posted a reassuring message on social media, announcing the postponement of Shabbat dinner and thanking the police for their responsiveness.

In Los Angeles, a dispute between roommates broke out at the UCLA Chabad Center on Gayley Avenue, leading to a stabbing. The victim was treated at the scene and released, and a suspect was arrested. According to campus police, this was not a hate crime but a personal dispute.

While authorities emphasize the isolated nature of each case, the succession of these events in a single day at places of worship and Jewish centers of life has caused great concern within the Chabad community in the United States.