As the long process of recovery begins, I am deeply grateful for the work of our partners at the MSU Hillel who have been engaged in the efforts to provide comfort and healing to the students.
Last Monday night began as a time of celebration. As I stood at the back of our annual Women’s Philanthropy Signature Event, listening to the actor Jennifer Grey reflect on her experiences to a room full of engaged Jewish women, my phone buzzed.
It was our director of Jewish Community Security Inc., letting me know that there had just been a shooting reported on campus at Michigan State University. Like everyone, I followed in absolute shock and horror as details of the situation unfolded.
At a time when incidents of violence are far too commonplace, this tragedy truly strikes home. Across our Jewish community, we are devastated for the families of the victims, for those injured and for the entire student body, many of whom come from our own homes.
Above all, we mourn the three young lives that were ended, and we continue to pray for the recovery of the five who were wounded. As a parent myself, I can think of no loss more heartbreaking. Beyond that, I can’t imagine the anxiety felt by those in our community whose children and grandchildren were on campus that night.
As the long process of recovery begins, I am deeply grateful for the work of our partners at the MSU Hillel who have been engaged in the efforts to provide comfort and healing to the students. I also want to acknowledge Jewish Family Service, whose trauma response team was on hand as a trained resource for those coping with the aftermath of the tragedy. It is reassuring to know that clergy from across Jewish Detroit have been providing counseling and support, as well.
Like so many people I’ve spoken with, my mind is reeling from the headlines in recent weeks. The assault at MSU arrived on the heels of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria, which claimed tens of thousands of lives and has left millions struggling to survive. Once again, I want to acknowledge our global partner agencies, the JDC and JAFI, along with the Israel Defense Forces humanitarian operation, who are right now delivering aid both to the small Jewish community in the region and to the broader population that has been affected by this disaster.
There are no silver linings in tragedies like these, but we can take comfort in the power of community to sustain us in dark times and provide a path to healing.
I look forward to better days.
Steve Ingber is CEO of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit.