46 | NOVEMBER 5 • 2020 

T

wenty-five years ago, on Nov. 4, 
1995, Jews in Detroit experienced a 
huge shock. The prime minister of 
Israel, Yitzhak Rabin, had been assassinat-
ed. The death of Rabin at the hands of a 
deranged Israeli university student rever-
berated around the world. 
Locally, the Jewish commu-
nity had not witnessed such 
an outpouring of grief since 
the beloved Rabbi Morris 
Adler was gunned down on 
the bimah of Shaarey Zedek 
during Shabbat services by 
a mentally ill young man 
in 1966, or perhaps, three 
years earlier, after the assassi-
nation of President John F. Kennedy.
Rabin’
s death was felt personally by 
many Detroit Jews. He had longstanding 
relationships with local community lead-
ers and, over the years, thousands of local 
Jews had traveled to Israel where they were 
warmly welcomed by Rabin. Regardless of 
whether one agreed with his policies or not, 
Rabin was the prime minister of Israel. He 
was a sabra, a soldier and a war hero, who 
became a statesman and, in 1995, was a vic-
tim of extremely divisive politics in Israel.
One only needs to visit the William 
Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit 
History and read the Nov. 10, 1995, issue 
of the JN to see the impact of Rabin’
s death 
on the local Jewish community. It has 25 
pages of stories from local, national and 
international reporters about the effects of 
the assassination. Only one other person 
received the same amount of ink in an 
issue of the JN: the legendary Detroiter Max 
Fisher on March 3, 2005, upon his passing.
The JN’
s coverage of Rabin’
s assassination 
is breathtaking. It began with reactions 
from local Jews: Where were they when 
they heard the news? Larry Wolfe had just 
come home and decided to check on the 

Michigan-Michigan State football game 
on TV. Anna Friedman was on her 
way to a wedding when she heard a 
report on the radio, and Wayne State 
University student Julie Galazan had 
just settled in to watch a movie. 
Other stories covered the reac-
tions of Americans and Detroiters, 
as well as the feelings and sense of 
loss among Israelis themselves. There 
were numerous quotes from promi-
nent Americans. Jennifer Finer wrote 
an article, “Hillel Students Discuss 
Their Emotions, Loss.” A story report-
ed that former Ambassador to Norway 
and Detroit Jewish leader David 
Hermelin visited Israel shortly after the 
event and found the entire nation walk-
ing around in a dream-like state. 
The issue also has images that show 
the interactions between Rabin and local 
Jews. Jane Sherman and Larry Jackier 
appear in a photograph breaking bread 
with Rabin in Israel. In another photo, 
JN staff writer Ruth Littmann, who had 
reported on the Miracle Mission II in 
Israel, is shown with Rabin.
Twenty-five years after Yitzhak Rabin’
s 
assassination, the Nov. 10, 1995, issue of 
the JN remains an outstanding, in-depth 
package of local, national and international 
reporting about a historic — and horrif-
ic — event. It is a compelling read that 
still stands as a fitting 
memorial to one of 
Israel’
s great leaders, 
and as a testimony to the 
tragic results when divi-
sive politics foster extreme 
acts of violence.

Want to learn more? Go to the 
DJN Foundation archives, 
available for free at 
www.djnfoundation.org.

Looking Back

From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History

accessible at www.djnfoundation.org

The Shocking 
Loss of Rabin

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