16 | DECEMBER 22 • 2022 

F

ederal, county and local law enforce-
ment officials stood shoulder-to- 
shoulder with leaders of the Jewish 
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit on the 
bimah of Temple Beth El the evening of 
Wednesday, Dec. 14, to let the community 
know they had the backs of the Jewish com-
munity they swore to protect.
They emphasized the seamless collab-
oration and communication and justified 
the actions taken during a Dec. 2 traffic 
stop involving a Dearborn man who 
allegedly shouted anti-Jewish and racist 
slurs at Jewish families dropping off their 
preschoolers and the black security guards 
charged to protect them on the grounds of 
the Bloomfield Township temple. 
The TBE sanctuary was filled with nearly 
1,000 members of the Jewish commu-
nity and the general public to hear from 
Federation and local, county and federal law 
officials about how they continually work 
together amid an ever-increas-
ing climate of hate acts against 
Jews and other religious and 
racial minorities. 
Oakland County Sherriff 
Michael Bouchard, who said 
he visited Israel three times to 
learn security and anti-terror 

techniques, affirmed that if someone has 
intent to harm the Jewish community here, 
“they will first have to get through him and 
thousands of Oakland County law enforce-
ment officials.
” 
Showing their support, officers from 
Bloomfield Township, West Bloomfield, 
Southfield, Ferndale and other munici-
palities filled the sanctuary’s front pews. 
Also present were several members from 
the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office 
and the Eastern District of Michigan U.S. 
Attorney’s Office who specialize in hate 
crimes and civil rights law. 
“Every person in Oakland County is 
entitled to feel safe,
” Bouchard said. “We 
are seamlessly committed to protecting the 
Jewish community. This kind of behavior 
will not be allowed to stand.
” 
Federation CEO Steven 
Ingber thanked law enforce-
ment officials who were on the 
scene the day of the incident 
and who continually work 
with Gary Sikorski, director of 
Jewish Community Security 
Inc., an independent organi-
zation formed in March 2022 and spun off 
from Federation’s Security Force, which was 
founded in 2007. 

Ingber also noted that for those who have 
experienced trauma or mental health chal-
lenges since the incident, professionals from 
Jewish Family Service’s Trauma Response 
Team were on-site at the event. 
“The families of these small children 
were clearly shaken,
” Ingber said. “In this 
country, we should be safe to take our kids 
to whatever school we want and not be 
accosted from someone in a car while we 
are taking our children into the building. 
“I hope people realize that our law 
enforcement partners are here to protect 
us,
” he added. “We are here as a community 
to say it’s a good time to be a Jew and to be 
comfortable sending your kids to a syna-
gogue, attending religious school or attend-
ing public events like Menorah in the D. We 
are not cowering and will continue to do 
Jewish in Detroit.
” 
TBE Rabbi Mark Miller 
welcomed the audience, saying 
there was a direct correlation 
between incendiary words 
from celebrities on social 
media and the hateful act that 
transpired in the parking lot. 
“I do not believe it’s a coin-
cidence that on the day after Kanye West sat 
next to Alex Jones and told millions of peo-

OUR COMMUNITY

Sherriff 
Michael 
Bouchard

Rabbi Mark 
Miller 

Steven 
Ingber 

 JOHN HARDWICK

Law enforcement and Jewish community leaders 
stand together to keep the community safe. 

Community Forum
on Antisemitism

STACY GITTLEMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Around 1,000 people came 
to the Community Forum 
on Antisemitism held at 
Temple Beth El Dec. 15.

