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PHILADELPHIA — The FBI is investigating an anthrax threat that forced more than 30 students and staff at the University of Pennsylvania Hillel to evacuate the campus building on Monday morning.

A computer-typed letter announ- cing the threat and containing an unknown substance was postmarked "April 19, Philadelphia" and addressed to "Hillel University of Pennsylvania." It had no return address, said Hillel director Jeremy Brochin, who opened the "lumpy" envelope.

"Some powder got all over me, and all over my office," said Brochin, who spent more than two hours in quarantine. Initially, he said, "I thought it was a hoax and ignored it for a few minutes."

But after reading the letter, which contained anti-Semitic diatribes and claimed the powder contained anthrax bacteria, Brochin became concerned and decided to follow Hillel's procedures for suspicious packages and bomb threats. He notified the campus police, who, in turn, called city officials.

Beginning at 9 a.m., the Hillel was evacuated in stages. The facility reopened around 11:30 a.m., after health officials declared the powder to be benign.

The letter, which began "Dear kikes," called Jews "a number of derogatory names," said Brochin, adding that it made a reference to a 24-hour Holocaust vigil the Hillel had hosted the previous week.

Rabbi Howard Alpert, executive director of Hillel of Greater Philadelphia, said he believes the letter may have been timed to coincide with the anniversary of Hitler's birthday, April 20.

Alpert described the hoax as an "unfortunate occurrence" and said "threats have to be kept in perspective, but taken seriously."

Craig Blackman, president of Hillel of Greater Philadelphia, said a public-health representative from the city told him the FBI had intervened because this was "the third in a similar series of threats to Jewish institutions in the last three months."

FBI Special Agent Linda Vizi confirmed that the agency was trying to determine the source of the letter but said she had "no knowledge" of any other recent incidents. Barry Morrison, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, said he is not aware of any other such threats, based on conversations with his own staff and staff at other ADL offices.

The incident began shortly after Brochin arrived at work Monday. He normally does not open the mail but decided to pitch in because letters had piled up while Hillel was closed for the first days of Passover.

Students who were on the second floor for morning prayers — and just doors away from Brochin's office — said they gradually became aware that something was amiss. However, they were not told any of the details, even as they were instructed to exit the building. Police officers asked for their names and Social Security numbers as they left Hillel's courtyard.

"Throughout davening in the morning, we heard police coming in and out" of the building, said Uri Cohen, a student who was at the Shacharit service. "Then, Matt Weiner, a student, came and told us they wanted to close off the second floor where we were davening.

"It got to a point where we could stop, right after Shacharit, and we went downstairs, did more davening and read the Torah there. Then Matt came and said they wanted to close the whole building."

Cohen added that Weiner "told me there was a chemical problem. He whispered in my ear, and said, 'We shouldn't tell anybody.'"

A junior at the university, Cohen called the scare "more of an annoyance than anything else. No one knew what was really going on, and that was intentional. [Students had] no immediate sense of danger."

Officials from Philadelphia's Hazardous Materials Department — along with paramedics, two doctors and other emergency officials — entered the building. Tests were conducted on the substance, which showed no traces of the anthrax bacteria.

The FBI agent refused to acknowledge whether the agency is investigating university students or staff.

University of Pennsylvania Hillel officials said the last time the agency confronted a similar incident was a bomb threat eight years ago.

Some of those who work and socialize at Hillel say the anthrax scare was frightening, but it will not change the way they feel about their Hillel.

"It was pretty scary to walk up and see Hillel surrounded" by police and fire officials, said Sara Tillinger, a junior.

"Everything I need is still there, and I need to go there all the time," she said, adding that "it's not going to change anything for me or those who use Hillel."