6 | DECEMBER 29 • 2022
1942 - 2022
Covering and Connecting
Jewish Detroit Every Week
To make a donation to the
DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
FOUNDATION
go to the website
www.djnfoundation.org
The Detroit Jewish News (USPS 275-520)
is published every Thursday at
32255 Northwestern Highway, #205,
Farmington Hills, Michigan. Periodical
postage paid at Southfield, Michigan, and
additional mailing offices.
Postmaster: send changes to:
Detroit Jewish News,
32255 Northwestern Highway, #205,
Farmington Hills, Michigan 48334
MISSION STATEMENT The Detroit Jewish News will be of service to the Jewish community. The Detroit Jewish
News will inform and educate the Jewish and general community to preserve, protect and sustain the Jewish
people of greater Detroit and beyond, and the State of Israel.
VISION STATEMENT The Detroit Jewish News will operate to appeal to the broadest segments of the greater
Detroit Jewish community, reflecting the diverse views and interests of the Jewish community while advancing the
morale and spirit of the community and advocating Jewish unity, identity and continuity.
DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
32255 Northwestern Hwy. Suite 205,
Farmington Hills, MI 48334
248-354-6060
thejewishnews.com
Publisher
The Detroit Jewish
News Foundation
| Board of Directors:
Chair: Gary Torgow
Vice President: David Kramer
Secretary: Robin Axelrod
Treasurer: Max Berlin
Board members: Larry Jackier,
Jeffrey Schlussel, Mark Zausmer
Senior Advisor to the Board:
Mark Davidoff
Alene and Graham Landau Archivist Chair:
Mike Smith
Founding President & Publisher Emeritus:
Arthur Horwitz
Founding Publisher
Philip Slomovitz, of blessed memory
Editorial
Director of Editorial:
Jackie Headapohl
jheadapohl@thejewishnews.com
Contributing Editors:
David Sachs, Keri Guten Cohen
Staff Reporter:
Danny Schwartz
dschwartz@thejewishnews.com
Editorial Assistant:
Sy Manello
smanello@thejewishnews.com
Digital Manager:
Elizabeth King
eking@thejewishnews.com
Contributing Writers:
Nate Bloom, Rochel Burstyn, Suzanne
Chessler, Annabel Cohen, Shari S.
Cohen, Shelli Liebman Dorfman, Louis
Finkelman, Stacy Gittleman, Esther
Allweiss Ingber, Barbara Lewis, Jennifer
Lovy, Rabbi Jason Miller, Alan Muskovitz,
Robin Schwartz, Mike Smith, Steve Stein,
Julie Smith Yolles, Ashley Zlatopolsky
Advertising Sales
Director of Advertising: Keith Farber
kfarber@thejewishnews.com
Senior Account Executive:
Kathy Harvey-Mitton
kmitton@thejewishnews.com
| Business Office
Director of Operations: Amy Gill
agill@thejewishnews.com
Operations Manager: Andrea Gusho
agusho@thejewishnews.com
Operations Assistant: Ashlee Szabo
Circulation: Danielle Smith
Billing Coordinator: Pamela Turner
| Production By
Farago & Associates
Manager: Scott Drzewiecki
Designers: Kaitlyn Iezzi, Kelly Kosek,
Deborah Schultz, Michelle Sheridan
PURELY COMMENTARY
guest column
Community Security is Taken Seriously
M
uch has been written about
the antisemitic incident that
occurred at Temple Beth El on
Dec. 2. As both a Bloomfield Township
Trustee and a Board member of Jewish
Community Security Inc. (JCSI), and
formerly a board member of Michigan
ADL, I can provide a
different perspective on the
incident.
In the guest column “A
Tour de Force” (Dec. 15),
the author commends
the community for “the
strong, fearless and united
front” on “calls, texts,
emails and social media platforms.”
While I agree that our community
must share threat information, the
unintended consequence is the spread
of misinformation that occurs when
the proverbial game of “telephone” is
amplified by social media.
When I received my first phone call at
about 10 a.m., I was told that a man hurled
epithets and made direct threats toward
the families in the parking lot, including
using his vehicle as a weapon — an
already exaggerated story. This narrative
continued to compound all day, which
led to many false and inaccurate reports
made to police. The hysteria caused by
misinformation initially slowed the police
response as they had to decipher which
reports were consistent with the video
footage received from the temple and
ultimately the perpetrator’s own video.
As difficult as it may be, we must
balance the need for timely information
with the need for accuracy.
I also want to correct the record
regarding the author’s statement that
“no immediate action seemed to be
taking place.” Law enforcement does not
disseminate its activities in real-time,
which is understandably frustrating
especially in light of the heinous videos
being posted by the suspect and the
misinformation going around.
Within two minutes of the initial
call from temple security, officers were
on-scene interviewing witnesses while
other officers executed a traffic stop to
identify the suspect. Simultaneously,
calls were made to both the Dearborn
Police and FBI to gather information
about him. Detectives immediately began
investigating and every available resource
was brought to bear.
As a precaution, surveillance was
attached to the suspect from shortly after
he left the temple until the moment he was
taken into custody. He was not allowed to
become a threat anywhere else.
In just 12 hours, a full report was
submitted to the prosecutor and, by
Sunday morning, her office issued
charges for two felonies. Upon our
recommendation, Dearborn Police took
the suspect into protective custody early
on Saturday morning and held him until
Bloomfield Township officers formally
arrested him on Sunday.
The Bloomfield Township Police took
the incident extremely seriously and
devoted hundreds of man-hours to the
case, regularly communicating with JCSI,
myself and other Township leadership.
Michael
Schostak