A small synagogue dedicated to serving Chicago's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community was one of the destinations of two packages intercepted abroad packed with explosive material, a co-president for the house of worship said Saturday.
Or Chadash, a congregation of about 100 people, held its Sabbath services Friday with security out in full force.
"It was unnerving, [but] we carried on as normal," Or Chadash's co-president, Lilli Kornblum, told CNN.
Kornblum said Or Chadash was notified that it was a potential target by the rabbi of Temple Emmanuel - another synagogue from which Or Chadash leases space - who received word from authorities. Temple Emmanuel, however, was apparently not a target.
Synagogues across metropolitan Chicago began taking "appropriate precautions" Friday after receiving warning from security officials to watch out for suspicious packages from abroad, according to a Jewish Federation spokeswoman.
President Barack Obama said that two packages that apparently contained explosive materials were bound for "two places of Jewish worship in Chicago," but did not name them. U.S. authorities could not be immediately reached to confirm Kornblum's claim.
"[We were] surprised, because we're very, very small," Kornblum said, adding that the 35-year-old synagogue had been trying to get noticed to potentially gain more congregants. "This isn't what we had in mind."
Kornblum said she's "distressed" about the incident, but expressed gratitude for the authorities who were able to intercept the packages.
The Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago was contacted by federal officials Friday morning to urge the organization to be on alert for suspicious packages, spokeswoman Linda Haase said.
Lucille Price, a receptionist at Anshe Emet Synagogue, said Chicago police made them aware of the reports and asked them to keep an eye out for suspicious packages among any deliveries that arrived Friday.
But congregation leaders at two prominent Chicago synagogues, Temple Sholom and Chicago Sinai Congregation, said they were not made aware of any attempts to ship bombs or hazardous material to them.
Haase said she had not heard reports of Chicago congregations altering plans for services on Friday evening, the beginning of the Jewish Sabbath.
"Everything was fine. Services were held as usual with no signs of anxiety," said Rabbi Michael Sternfield, who leads Chicago Sinai, after services Friday night. "There is really nothing to report."
Steven Bob, the rabbi at a synagogue in the western Chicago suburbs, said Friday that he was not concerned about the exposed plot.
"We generally pay careful attention to packages coming to the synagogue, accepting only those we're expecting or from a known sender," he said. "Today we were extra careful."
Bob said that there was plenty of email and phone traffic among Chicago Jewish leaders responding to news of the plot on Friday but that he didn't think worshippers would be deterred from Friday services.
"We live in a world that contains some people that are hostile to us and we want to respond to that hostility with caution," said Bob, who leads Etz Chaim in Lombard, Illinois. "At the same time, we're not going to go hide in the basement."
"I may say a word or two about this tonight, but I don't think it's worthy of a sermon," he said Friday. "What am I going to say, that I'm opposed to terrorism?"
– CNN's Ross Levitt and Dan Gilgoff contributed to this report.
Or Chadash, a congregation of about 100 people, held its Sabbath services Friday with security out in full force.
"It was unnerving, [but] we carried on as normal," Or Chadash's co-president, Lilli Kornblum, told CNN.
Kornblum said Or Chadash was notified that it was a potential target by the rabbi of Temple Emmanuel - another synagogue from which Or Chadash leases space - who received word from authorities. Temple Emmanuel, however, was apparently not a target.
Synagogues across metropolitan Chicago began taking "appropriate precautions" Friday after receiving warning from security officials to watch out for suspicious packages from abroad, according to a Jewish Federation spokeswoman.
President Barack Obama said that two packages that apparently contained explosive materials were bound for "two places of Jewish worship in Chicago," but did not name them. U.S. authorities could not be immediately reached to confirm Kornblum's claim.
"[We were] surprised, because we're very, very small," Kornblum said, adding that the 35-year-old synagogue had been trying to get noticed to potentially gain more congregants. "This isn't what we had in mind."
Kornblum said she's "distressed" about the incident, but expressed gratitude for the authorities who were able to intercept the packages.
The Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago was contacted by federal officials Friday morning to urge the organization to be on alert for suspicious packages, spokeswoman Linda Haase said.
Lucille Price, a receptionist at Anshe Emet Synagogue, said Chicago police made them aware of the reports and asked them to keep an eye out for suspicious packages among any deliveries that arrived Friday.
But congregation leaders at two prominent Chicago synagogues, Temple Sholom and Chicago Sinai Congregation, said they were not made aware of any attempts to ship bombs or hazardous material to them.
Haase said she had not heard reports of Chicago congregations altering plans for services on Friday evening, the beginning of the Jewish Sabbath.
"Everything was fine. Services were held as usual with no signs of anxiety," said Rabbi Michael Sternfield, who leads Chicago Sinai, after services Friday night. "There is really nothing to report."
Steven Bob, the rabbi at a synagogue in the western Chicago suburbs, said Friday that he was not concerned about the exposed plot.
"We generally pay careful attention to packages coming to the synagogue, accepting only those we're expecting or from a known sender," he said. "Today we were extra careful."
Bob said that there was plenty of email and phone traffic among Chicago Jewish leaders responding to news of the plot on Friday but that he didn't think worshippers would be deterred from Friday services.
"We live in a world that contains some people that are hostile to us and we want to respond to that hostility with caution," said Bob, who leads Etz Chaim in Lombard, Illinois. "At the same time, we're not going to go hide in the basement."
"I may say a word or two about this tonight, but I don't think it's worthy of a sermon," he said Friday. "What am I going to say, that I'm opposed to terrorism?"
– CNN's Ross Levitt and Dan Gilgoff contributed to this report.
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