The terrorist attack on Temple Israel, in West Bloomfield Township near Detroit, Mich., was over fast. A 41-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen from Lebanon rammed a truck into the synagogue on March 12. The terrorist busted into a hallway striking a security person, knocking him unconscious.
The security team for the synagogue ran to the explosion of noise. About 30 staff members and a reported 140 children were inside Temple Israel.
The terrorist, who had a rifle and, according to some reports, gasoline and explosives, died in his truck. Some reports say that responding security for the synagogue shot the terrorist before he was able to get out of his vehicle.
West Bloomfield Police Chief Dale Young simply said Temple security personnel “engaged the individual and neutralized the threat.”
After the terrorist was stopped, smoke billowed from the synagogue as the fuel the terrorist loaded into the truck burned. Some responding officers and staff members of the Temple would suffer from smoke inhalation. The security person who was struck unconscious would recover. Many of the people inside were quickly evacuated to a nearby country club. The terrorist had evil intentions, but Temple Israel’s personnel were ready.
Jason Plotkin, executive director of Temple Israel, declined to give more details about how the terrorist was quickly neutralized, but he pointed us to an article he quickly wrote for the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that explains how they armed themselves, sought help from law enforcement and the surrounding community, and trained to repel evil.
“Our temple, like those across the United States, has spent countless hours and dollars in recent years focused on security,” said Plotkin. “At times, the threat facing our synagogues and Jewish community spaces feels abstract. But our experience … is an important reminder that security preparedness is essential to ensuring the safety of our community members, and it is time and money well spent.
“Security preparation can alter your instincts and equip you to respond effectively in critical situations, preventing you from freezing when action is required,” said Plotkin.
Plotkin explained that about a month before, the “FBI conducted a training session for our staff. These trainings are common culture, and I have sat through dozens of them over the years. The FBI facilitator discussed active shooter scenarios, emphasizing the ‘run, hide, fight’ strategy. Our preschool faculty had undergone similar training in recent months.”
He also said the Temple’s security personnel also undergo regular group training, and they even use federal holidays—times when the synagogue is empty—to practice their established protocols to respond to an attack.
“Another essential preparedness tactic is the sacred partnership we have built between Temple Israel and our neighbor, Shenandoah Country Club,” said Plotkin. “The club’s executive director, Hassan Yazbek, was literally the first person to call me as I was struggling to breathe in the temple parking lot after evacuating due to smoke inhalation.”
He also said that “local FBI officials, Department of Homeland Security team members, county sheriffs and township police are all familiar with me and our security team. The same goes for our local West Bloomfield Township leadership and two state legislators that call Temple Israel ‘home.’”
They built a security team from members of their community who were willing to take the time to be armed first responders. They sought help from security professionals on how to position their security team and how to act under pressure.
“In Jewish tradition, we hold the sacred value of pikuach nefesh—the sacred responsibility to protect and preserve life,” said Plotkin. “On March 12, our staff, faculty, security team, and the entire community lived out this value.”
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