Michiganders, It's Time to Unite Against Extremism

Reflection by Adar Rubin, Director of Mobilization

Last week, a terror attack shattered the sanctuary of Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan, a place that has been woven into the fabric of my life since before I could walk. This wasn't just your normal act of evil, it was an assault on the fabric of community woven into our city. The news hit me like a physical dagger to the heart. Growing up in West Bloomfield, that synagogue wasn't just a building, it was the heartbeat of our community, the site of my earliest memories and my family's most sacred milestones. In the days since, I've struggled to find words for the sadness and rage that have flooded my heart, knowing that hatred once again targeted innocent Jews as well as over 140 preschoolers.

Temple Israel is where my story began. I attended preschool in its classrooms, learning my first prayers and songs under its roof. My mother taught there, shaping young minds with the same love and dedication she pours into our family. It is where my parents stood under the chuppah and got married, and where I have celebrated more bar and bat mitzvahs than I can possibly count.

Most sacred of all, a classroom bears the name of my grandparents, Sid and Marilyn (z"l), whose lives of generosity, philanthropy and quiet strength still echo through those halls. To see this holy place violated is to feel my own childhood, my parents' vows, my grandparents' legacy, and those I personally know who currently work there or have preschool aged children there under direct assault. These are not abstract symbols, they are the living threads that connect me to every Jew who has ever sought safety, sanctuary and belonging in a synagogue.

In the midst of this horror, we owe an immense debt of gratitude to Shenandoah Country Club for helping the staff and children evacuate the building and cooked warm meals for the children to ensure they were okay as they were waiting for the near-statewide lockdown to conclude so their parents could pick them up. The following day, they opened up their doors to have Temple Israel's shabbat services proceed at their venue.

I have numerous friends within the Chaldean community who have a constant appetite for knowledge of Jewish history and shared values, while always having our backs. One of my closest Chaldean friends is my go-to "movie-buddy", where throughout the hardships of the last two years, he would come over nearly every week just to talk about the state of international Jew-hatred, how Christian-Iraqis can do more to stand against this tide of hatred, and would drag me out to late-night movies. He would do this to draw real-life inspiration, creativity, comfort and most importantly, to remedy my fears.

My late grandmother Marilyn (z'l), an Ashkenazi Jewish woman, would always boast about how proud she was to have numerous Chaldean "grandchildren," referring to her neighbors who would always come over to spend quality time with her and go on boat rides. When she passed away in January, those grandchildren and their family attended the funeral and shivah, and showered us with so much support in our moment of grief.

To say I have immense love for the Chaldean community would be the grandmother of all understatements. They're my family too.

We especially owe our thanks to Danny Phillips, Temple Israel's director of security and a former police officer with over 28 years of service. When the attacker rammed a vehicle into the building and opened fire, Danny acted with extraordinary courage, helping to neutralize the threat and protecting the lives of 140 preschool children and staff inside. Heroes like Danny remind us that bravery can turn the tide, even in the darkest moments.

Yet this heroism also underscores the grim reality we face today: Jewish organizations, contrasting other faith-based organizations, are diverting large portions of their annual budgets to security measures, armed guards, reinforced doors, and more. Six weeks prior to the attack, the Temple Israel staff partook in active shooter training, and these drills are actively happening across the nation.

These are dark times indeed, when safety comes at such a steep cost, draining resources from education, community programs, and spiritual life itself. At this moment, we must prioritize investing in both.

This attack is not an isolated horror. It is the latest chapter in a long, painful pattern fueled by extremist ideologies that have metastasized across our political landscape. From far-right Groypers such as Nick Fuentes, Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, and Candace Owens, to Free Palestine on the far-left such as Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, Hasan Piker, Zohran Mamdani and more. Whether from the radical left that excuses antisemitism as "anti-Zionism" or the radical right that revives classic tropes of Jewish conspiracy, the message is the same, Jews are fair targets.

We have watched synagogues, campuses, and city streets become battlegrounds for this shared hatred, and Temple Israel now joins that tragic list. Our darkest fears of our hometown falling under the national spotlight due to violent Jew-hatred became our worst nightmare. Yet, I refuse to let fear paralyze me or turn us against one another. The only force strong enough to defeat this darkness is our collective resolve. Left, right, and center, united in the simple, non-negotiable demand that Jewish lives matter, Jewish safety matters, Jewish representation matters, Jewish self-determination matters, and Jewish institutions must be defended without apology or hesitation.

We are grateful for the bipartisan support we've seen across from Republicans and Democrats alike on both a local and national scale. I especially owe a debt of gratitude to our very own Congresswoman, Haley Stevens, who consistently meets the moment in supporting this vibrant, resilient, loud and proud Jewish community in Michigan's 11th District. The same Congresswoman who stood by my side and spoke definitely and unapologetically in support of us at the very first community rally organized by #EndJewHatred following the October 7th massacre.

One truth rises above everything else: we cannot let this moment divide us further. The Hezbollah-tied terrorist who carried out this nefarious attack miraculously failed. Those who cheered him on through the polarizing comments of endorsements we see across social media landscapes do not care about left or right. Their impure, broken souls simply care about virality, their online engagement and clout, seizing opportunities to financially capitalize off of making Jew-hatred trendy with the sinister goal of radicalizing the youth. Now more than ever, it is our collective responsibility that we stand together and unite against the rising tide of extremist ideology that threatens every Jewish community nationally from both ends of the political spectrum.

At #EndJewHatred, we have always believed that mobilization is the antidote to despair. This moment calls every one of us: parents, students, grandparents, and most importantly, our allies, to rise above partisan lines and join the fight. Let the sanctity and gift of Temple Israel, and the unbreakable spirit of West Bloomfield's Jewish community, fuel our courage. Together, we will expose the extremists, protect our synagogues, and build a future where no child ever again fears walking into the place their family calls home.

Adar Rubin
Director of Mobilization
#EndJewHatred
adar@endjewhatred.com

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