Bombs, Anti-Semitic Notes Planted in S.F.

Three pipe bombs, accompanied by anti-Semitic messages, were planted in residential areas of San Francisco on Monday. One exploded at the Humanist Party’s print shop, and police defused bombs discovered at a synagogue and at a rabbi’s home.

“The three bombs are similar in type and were probably planted by the same individual or group,” said San Francisco police inspector Tom Dickson, who added that tests were being conducted to determine if the pipes were of the same origin. He said the explosive potential of the third bomb, found at a rabbi’s home about 1 p.m., was equal to that of a hand grenade.

Notes saying “Death to all Zionist-Jews” were found attached to all three bombs. No group has claimed responsibility for the bombs or identified itself on the notes, which were written on letter-size sheets of paper.

Police are continuing to watch synagogues throughout the city and are checking for bombs in the homes of some rabbis, Dickson said.

Monday was the start of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.

Reagan Administration Blamed

Shortly after midnight Monday a bomb explosion damaged a door and some windows at the office of the Humanist Party’s print shop. Spokesman Rick Wall said the 5,000-member political organization has no connections with the Jewish faith and blamed the Reagan Administration for “setting a political climate that allows fringe group extremists and terrorist groups to commit acts of violence, like the abortion-clinic bombings.”

The year-old Humanist Party favors “active nonviolence and non-discrimination” as well as disarmament, divestment and a pro-choice stand on abortion.

The second bomb was found at 8:45 a.m. by an employee of Congregation Beth Sholom; it had been placed on a wall.