Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to include a recent statement

On the 21st of August, Congregation Ner Shalom received a bomb threat via voicemail. According to Vice President of Membership Jillian Perry “the voicemail included expletives and referenced killing us [Ner Shalom congregants] and blowing up our ‘stuff’ [the temple].”

Perry received a .wav message of the voicemail to her email, checking voicemails and forwarding them to the proper person is on of her many duties, and was in “obvious shock” after listening to it.

Immediately, Perry contacted Acting Chief Jared Phelps. She then drove to the Prince William County central police station and filed a report. The police decided to walk through Congregation Ner Shalom’s premises swith a bomb dog. There is an ongoing investigation regarding the threat.

“Although it sounded like it could be some young kids with nothing better to do with their time, every threat, especially with mentions of violence are taken seriously” said Perry. The threat is one example of the problem of antisemitism in the United States.

On the 25th of August, Perry, who represents Congregation Ner Shalom on the Citizens Advisory Board, participated in a Community Conversation between various faith leaders and Acting Chief Phelps. Perry descibed it as a “fantastic interfaith forum on our hopes and prayers for social justice in our nation and our solidarity.” The conversation led Perry to think about how she doesn’t “want us [PWC] to wait until tragedy hits for us to come together as a community and take a stand against hate locally and nationally.”

“Working closely with our [Congregation Ner Shalom’s] Rabbi, Elizabeth Goldstien, we developed an idea of what we could do in the time of COVID.” The Partners in Peace T-Shirt Campaign is a way for people “as a community” to “show solidarity against hate” The campaign is occurring “simultaneously with Unity in the Community’s International Day of Prayer for Peace on September 20th.”

It will run through the 28th of September due to “the amount of commitments we [Congregation Ner Shalom] are receiving from different PWC houses of worship/organizations.” This will “allow for outreach to as many communities as possible.”

They intend to “plan a solidarity day to all wear our shirts” and “present ACTS with a check of the donations” as proceeds from shirt sales will go to the homeless shelter.

Perry noted “despite being the only Temple here, we are never alone here in Prince William County” referring to the outpouring of support from other faith group leaders in the county.

Partners in this effort are Muslim Association of Virginia’s Dar al Noor, First United Presbyterian Church of Dale City, Nokesville Church of the Brethren, Lutheran Church of the Covenant, St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church, Asbury United Methodist Church, Manassas Church of the Brethren, Epiphany Lutheran Church, Unity in the Community, Potomac Valley, and Bull Run Unitarian Universalists.

Prince William County Partners in Peace we were able to sell 117 shirts and raise an additional $1,030.28 for ACTS during their campain.*

*Updated information based upon the financial details that we received