FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 13, 2026
We are grateful that today’s attack at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan, was thwarted. It is a tremendous relief to learn that all 140 children in the building are safe and accounted for. We extend our deepest sympathies to the families and community members directly impacted.
While we don’t yet know the full story, the attack is a disturbing sign of the times. Jews are being targeted for violence as proxies and scapegoats for the escalating war with Iran, just as they were during the war in Gaza. We’ve seen it here with the beating of two Israeli Americans in San Jose, and now in West Bloomfield with this frightening, if ultimately unsuccessful, terror attempt.
These latest attacks, just like the murders in Bondi Beach, Boulder, and Washington, DC, reflect a pattern in which Jewish individuals are blamed for global events outside their control. Let us be absolutely clear: collective blame is antisemitic. These incidents are contributing to an environment of fear and uncertainty.
We call on civic and elected leaders to stand against such expressions of prejudice and condemn the rhetoric that is contributing to them.
We encourage you to read the Detroit Federation’s statement here.
About JCRC:
JCRC Bay Area is the largest collective voice of Bay Area Jews, working in pursuit of a more just world where Jewish identity is embraced and all people thrive. By building bridges and working in coalition with diverse ethnic, faith, political, and civic communities, we foster partnerships, provide meaningful educational and engagement opportunities, and build consensus for actionable solutions to real-world challenges. www.jcrc.org.
