On Saturday Samantha Woll, board president of the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue in Detroit, Michigan, was found stabbed to death outside her home. Woll, age 40, was a Jewish community leader and a prominent activist for the Democratic Party. Michigan AG Dana Nessel said, “I am shocked, saddened and horrified to learn of Sam’s brutal murder. Sam was as kind a person as I’ve ever known. She was driven by her sincere love of her community, state and country. Sam truly used her faith and activism to create a better place for everyone.” A motive for her murder has not been identified, but since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, Jewish institutions have been under threat. A large pro-Hamas rally was held in Dearborn on October 12; the Detroit area has a large Arab population.
