Threats against the Jewish community in Munich and Upper Bavaria, which has already faced a surge in antisemitic incidents in recent months, have escalated further after the community received a letter containing a bullet and violent threats late last week. German police confirmed that the envelope, delivered on Thursday, included “threatening content and a bullet.”

The package was sent to a central Jewish institution that houses both the community center and the Ohel Jakob Synagogue in downtown Munich. According to German media, the suspicious letter was first inspected by the community’s security staff, who then alerted the police. The Bavarian state security division for criminal investigations has opened an inquiry into the case.

Yehoshua Chmiel, vice president of the Munich Jewish community, told the German-Jewish newspaper Jüdische Allgemeine that the letter arrived via regular mail. “We examine every item of mail,” he said. “In this case, it was immediately clear that the letter contained problematic material.” He added that passing such mail on to the police is standard protocol.

“The escalation continues,” Chmiel warned. “We receive many threats, but a letter with a live bullet is something new.” He said the message stated that “all Jews should be shot,” noting that while the community is used to receiving hate mail, this incident represents a far more serious development. He stressed that “the person who sent this threat clearly has access to ammunition and probably to a weapon as well.”

Chmiel said local Jews feel abandoned in the face of ongoing threats, insults, and antisemitic rhetoric. “There are speeches against antisemitism, but no real action,” he said. “The speeches don’t help us.”

At the same time, he praised cooperation with law enforcement, calling relations with the police “excellent” and saying the authorities “always do their utmost.”

A police spokesperson told the German news agency DPA that “based on the current state of the investigation, any real danger can already be ruled out.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)