16 | AUGUST 3 • 2023
OUR COMMUNITY
T
he Ann Arbor Police
Department (AAPD)
is actively investigating
“hate-motivated vandalism” — one
with antisemitic intention — at two
off-campus University of Michigan
fraternity houses.
The vandalism consists of
homophobic and antisemitic sym-
bols, including a swastika at one of
the locations on Oxford Road, loca-
tion of the Jewish frat house Sigma
Alpha Mu. The other location is on
Geddes Avenue.
It is believed the vandalism
occurred between 5 p.m. on July 17
and 6 a.m. on July 18.
“The AAPD is looking for assis-
tance from community members
who might have seen anything sus-
picious or who might have captured
the suspect or suspects on doorbell
cameras during this time period,
”
the AAPD said in a statement. “The
AAPD takes hate-motivated crimes
very seriously. Hate has no place in the city
of Ann Arbor.
”
Anyone with any further information can
contact the AAPD tip line at (734) 794-6939
or email the tip line at tips@a2gov.org.
University of Michigan President Santa
J. Ono released a statement to the campus
community on July 21:
“We are aware of the recent vandalism
that has been reported to Ann Arbor Police
at two off-campus fraternity houses where
University of Michigan students will be
living in the fall. Both houses are vacant for
the summer. The university condemns these
acts of vandalism, which included broken
windows and spray-painted messages that
are vile, homophobic and antisemitic. These
types of incidents are in direct conflict with
the university’s deeply held values of respect
and inclusion and have no place within our
campus community or in the broader Ann
Arbor community.
”
Tilly Shemer, executive
director of Michigan Hillel,
told the JN, “We were grateful
for the quick response from
the university administration
and their support of the Jewish
and LGBTQ+ communities on
campus.
”
Shadia Martini, a candidate for the
Democratic nomination for the 54th State
House District (including Bloomfield
Township and Bloomfield Hills), took to
Twitter following the antisemitic attack.
“
A swastika and other extremist symbols
were sprayed on fraternity houses in Ann
Arbor this week. Let’s be clear: This is a hate
crime. It is reprehensible that Jewish
students continue to be targets of
antisemitic hate,
” Martini said.
PRIOR ANTISEMITIC INCIDENTS
Last September, antisemitic fly-
ers were placed on the porches of
off-campus University of Michigan
student-populated neighborhoods
in Ann Arbor. The flyers contained
antisemitic conspiracy theories with
a QR code link to an antisemitic hate
website.
Earlier this year, a Clinton
Township woman was arrested for
spray-painting antisemitic graffiti on
the Woodward Avenue Shul in Royal
Oak. Police said Randi Lucille Nord
spray-painted a swastika with the
word “
AZOV” on an outside wall of
the Shul. The word AZOV is associ-
ated with a Ukrainian militia group
with neo-Nazi leanings. Nord faces a
felony charge of ethnic intimidation
and a misdemeanor charge of mali-
cious destruction of a building.
The 2022 Audit of Antisemitic Incidents
issued March 23 by the Anti-Defamation
League (ADL) showed antisemitic incidents
in Michigan remain at an alarming number,
mirroring even more troubling nationwide
figures.
Antisemitic incidents once again reached
an all-time high in the United States in
2022, with a total of 3,697 incidents of
assault, harassment and vandalism reported
to the ADL, a 36% year-over-year increase.
As has been the case for several years,
Michigan placed in the group of states
ranking highest in the nation for incidents
of antisemitism, ranking ninth overall with
111 incidents in 2022. Michigan data also
showed more incidents of vandalism in
2022 than the previous year.
Jewish U-M fraternity among two buildings
struck with hateful graffiti and vandalism.
Ann Arbor Frat House Hit
with Antisemitic Vandalism
Tilly
Shemer
DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER