A University of Michigan rabbi and a group of 20 students endured a terrifying ordeal when an armed intruder barged into the rabbi’s home during a Rosh Hashanah seudah.
“I’m taking everything, give me everything,” the gunman reportedly said as he threatened the group with a handgun.
Thankfully, no one was harmed, and everyone in the house managed to flee through the front door. The intruder, however, escaped with little more than a single bag, according to the Detroit News.
Authorities are still searching for the suspect, believed to be a Black man in his early 20s.
“The preliminary investigation indicates this was a crime of opportunity,” the Southfield Police stated. “However, the investigation is ongoing.”
A woman, believed to be involved in the incident, has already been arrested.
“A horrific event occurred late Wednesday night at the home of Rabbi Mendy Klahr,” University of Michigan president Santa Ono said in a statement, noting that the rabbi’s house is located about 40 minutes away from the university’s campus.
“Fortunately, nobody was hurt.”
Ono also shared that he had spoken with some of the students who were present, as well as a few parents. “Although we are grateful that the Rabbi, his family, and our students are safe, we take the safety of our students very seriously,” he said. The university is planning to increase security at Jewish centers on campus, both for the remainder of the holiday weekend and into the following week during Yom Kippur.
The University of Michigan has recently faced multiple reports of violence targeting Jewish students.
Late in September, two Jewish students were attacked following a dispute with someone outside the off-campus residence of members of a Jewish fraternity.
The disagreement turned physical, leading to one of the Jewish students being punched.
The following day, the situation worsened when a group returned to the house and hurled glass bottles at the property, according to Ono.
Just days earlier, yet another Jewish student reported being assaulted.
These incidents, combined with the heightened tension on campuses nationwide in the year since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, have left Jewish students feeling uneasy.
In response, some students have begun organizing a protective initiative, known as “Shmira”—Hebrew for guardian—to help ease concerns, reported the Detroit Free Press.
The goal is to enlist up to 100 volunteers who will walk with Jewish students around campus, providing an extra sense of security.
“It’s honestly sad that we’re at this point where we have students who feel unsafe walking around on campus and we have to take these measures,” said Leo Gabaron, a 22-year-old master’s student leading the initiative.
“But we just want the Jewish community to know that there are people here for you, we’re all here for you, and there’s no reason for students to not feel safe,” he added.
{Matzav.com}