18 | OCTOBER 10 • 2024 J
N
I
n a frightening start to 5785, a
group of about 20 Jewish stu-
dents from the University of
Michigan attending an Erev Rosh
Hashanah dinner at the Southfield
home of U-M Jewish Resource
Center Rabbi Mendy Klahr and his
wife, Gitty Klahr, were confronted
by a masked gunman. Fortunately,
no one was harmed.
Southfield law enforcement
investigators have considered this
to be a “crime of opportunity”
and not necessarily a hate crime,
though the investigation continues.
According to a report released
by Deputy Chief of Police Aaron
Huguley, on Wednesday, Oct. 2,
at approximately 10:39 p.m., the
Southfield Police Department
responded to the 16000 block of
Hilton on a reported home inva-
sion. The neighborhood is west of
Greenfield and north of 10 Mile,
The statement read: “Upon arriv-
al, officers made contact with the
residents and visitors of the home.
The residence was searched by the
officers, and it was discovered that
the suspect [was] no longer on
scene.
“The initial details indicate that
the lone suspect, a black male in
his late teens or early 20s, entered
the home through the rear door.
The suspect was armed with a
handgun and stated, ‘I’m taking
everything. Give Me Everything.’
The occupants of the home were
able to exit through the front door.
No one was injured during this
incident.”
The report also stated that
through active investigations,
officers identified the suspect
and are working to bring him
into custody. Additionally, it was
learned that a female was involved
in the incident and has been
taken into custody. Anyone with
information is asked to contact
Southfield Police at (248) 796-5500
and refer to case number 24-36003.
Anonymous tips can be called into
1-800-SPEAK-UP.
According to the Oakland
County Sheriff’s Office interactive
crime map, the county has been the
scene of a rash of home burglaries.
Between June 1 and Oct. 6, the
map indicated that there have been
a recorded 127 incidents of bur-
glary/breaking-and-entering in the
Southfield vicinity within a 10-mile
radius. According to the Oakland
County Sheriff’s office transparen-
cy website, so far in 2024, they have
responded to 1,866 burglar alarms
and 1,634 suspicious persons calls.
The Oct. 2 incident was a home
invasion of an occupied dwell-
ing, much more dangerous than a
burglary of an unoccupied house.
On Sunday, Southfield Police Lt.
Matthew Taylor told the JN that
the investigation was ongoing. In
spite of what the criminal burglary
mapping data shows, Taylor said
this was an isolated incident and
there have been no rash of home
invasions in the area at this time.
In any case, Southfield Police has
been ramping up patrols ahead of
the High Holiday season and the
anniversary of Oct. 7.
“Even before this incident, we
had officers doing extra patrols
just because of threats surrounding
the anniversary of Oct. 7 and the
upcoming Jewish holidays,” Taylor
said. “We have many members of
the Jewish community living in our
neighborhoods, and we have extra
patrols on every shift.”
JRC GIVES ACCOUNT
Offering more details to the police
statement, Rabbi Fully Eisenberger
of the Jewish Resource Center
(JRC) in Ann Arbor, where Klahr
works as director of engagement,
released this additional statement:
“Rabbi Mendy’s home backs up
to a major street and is one of the
only properties in the area with
a low fence. His house is clearly
visible from the street.”
“Gitty took out the garbage, and
we think the robber saw her and
thought it was an opportunity. She
reentered the house not knowing
she had been observed. The robber
hopped the fence and came to the
back door. He tried the [door]
handle, and as Gitty approached to
see what the sound was, he barged
in with a gun.”
The JRC statement continued:
“She slammed the door and
screamed for everyone to get out.
Most of the student guests left the
house by the time the perpetrator
made it through the kitchen.
“Mendy and Gitty ran to their
children’s room where Mendy
watched as the guy rummaged
around. At one point, they made
eye contact and Rabbi Mendy
realized that the guy was probably
not going to use force. A short
while later the perpetrator left.”
In the statement, Eisenberger
said U-M President Santo Ono
called him multiple times over
Rosh Hashanah, but his phone was
off in observance of the holiday.
He acknowledged the president’s
support.
JRC staff will be meeting with the
students at the dinner, and there
is counseling for them on campus
through the University Department
of Student Life, according to a
statement released by Ono shortly
after the university became aware
of the incident.
Southfield Police tentatively label it a “crime of opportunity.”
Armed Robber Invades
Rosh Hashanah Dinner
STACY GITTLEMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
OUR COMMUNITY
Rabbi Mendy Klahr, outside the Jewish Research Center in Ann Arbor