18 | OCTOBER 10 • 2024 J
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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

