4 | DECEMBER 15 • 2022 

PURELY COMMENTARY

guest column

A Tour de Force 

O

n Friday, Dec. 2, 2022, 
our community was 
attacked by a hateful, 
heinous potential terrorist. 
Fortunately, the courageous and 
quick-minded people of Temple 
Beth El acted swiftly to diffuse 
this already 
deplorable 
situation from 
evolving into 
something even 
more terrible and 
tragic. But, what 
happened next 
should fill every 
Jewish person with immense 
inspiration, pride and hope. 
No immediate action seemed 
to be taking place on Friday 
(that the public was aware of) 
and the assailant, who does 
not deserve to be named, 
was out and about, driving 
around, going so far as to tell 
police he was “going to other 
synagogues” in a subsequent 
interaction with local law 
enforcement. 
As our community knows 
all too well, antisemitism 
does not make it above the 
fold in the proverbial paper. 
Antisemitism does not lead 
the news; and, what is even 
more heartbreaking and 
demoralizing, antisemitism 
remains the last bastion of 
hatred and intolerance that is 
acceptable in the mainstream 
public discourse that is never 
met with the outrage all others 
receive so immediately and 
earnestly. 
Friday night, our community 
knew we could not merely 
rely in blind faith on the 
media, organizations or law 

enforcement alone. We had to 
voice and amplify our fears, 
and universally mobilize and 
strategize with every resource 
at our disposal to ensure we 
received the support and 
protection we, like all others, 
deserve during such trying 
times. 
I saw preeminent criminal 
attorney Neil Rockind’s 
Facebook post offering his and 
his firm’s criminal expertise, 
services and resources pro bono 
to do anything and everything 
possible to ensure this man did 
not have carte blanche roaming 
the streets unfettered amongst 
the general public, wielding vile 
hatred and with a mind and 
possible means to inflict grave 
damage and harm. 
In seeing this, I immediately 
decided to jump in to assist 
in whatever little way I could. 
I began, like so many others, 
writing, sharing, commenting 
and communicating on a series 
of calls, texts, emails and social 
media platforms — not to 
inflame the situation, not to 
stoke the fires of politicization 
or division — but, rather, to 
ensure as many people as 
possible were aware, informed 
and engaged. 
Fortunately, our collective 
communicativeness and sense 
of mission paid off. 
By Sunday morning, this 
man was apprehended and 
taken into custody in large 
part because of the strong, 
fearless and united front, voice 
and message our community 
unabashedly placed front and 
center. 
We did not allow the media 

to ignore this. Our collective 
voice ensured that law 
enforcement utilized every legal 
instrument at their disposal 
to remove this man from the 
streets as soon as was legally 
and practicably possible. 
We did not rely upon public 
statements of others to deter 
our might and resolve in 
standing up for ourselves, our 
loved ones and our community 
at large. We were able to spread 
the word so quickly, so clearly 
and so forcefully that inaction 

would not have just been 
unacceptable, it would have 
been unconscionable. 
Without each of you and 
your efforts, this abhorrent 
symbol of hate could have 
possibly been driving 
synagogue to synagogue all 
weekend, instead of being in 
custody charged with ethnic 
intimidation. 
Days later, this disgraceful 
individual continues to spew 
hateful bile. His actions at 
Temple Beth El, his behavior 
in videos shared thereafter and 
his most recent racist, vile and 
hate-filled diatribe in court 
are proof positive that he is 
dangerously unfit to roam the 
streets, full stop. 
In the event he is somehow 

released, that would be a 
dangerous miscarriage of 
justice, something I do not 
say lightly as a lawyer who 
greatly respects the courts, law 
enforcement and the rule of 
law. 
There are still concerns about 
how the original traffic stop 
was handled. At the same time, 
law enforcement also deserves 
our respect and gratitude. 
We deserve and have cer-
tainly earned a brief respite 
and momentary sigh of relief. 

Nevertheless, until the 
better angels of our society 
start winning the day more 
often than the evil demons, 
we must all remain engaged, 
vigilant and determined to 
stand up for ourselves and one 
another. 
If nothing else, we emphat-
ically proved that we are a 
strong, powerful and righteous 
community who will never rest, 
shrink or waiver in the face of 
hatred. 

Max S. Emmer is a lawyer and certified 

mediator who has called Metro Detroit 

home for nearly his entire life. If you 

wish to share any thoughts, comments 

or ideas about these events or this 

essay, he can be reached at max@

emmerlawplc.com. 

Max S. 
Emmer, Esq. 

How the people of the Detroit Jewish community effectuated 
righteous results against a potential threat in one weekend.

“WE EMPHATICALLY PROVED THAT 
WE ARE A STRONG, POWERFUL 
AND RIGHTEOUS COMMUNITY 
WHO WILL NEVER REST, SHRINK OR 
WAIVER IN THE FACE OF HATRED.”

