[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 47 (Monday, March 16, 2026)]
[House]
[Page H2488]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               SUPPORTING TEMPLE ISRAEL AND MICHIGANDERS

  (Ms. Stevens of Michigan was recognized to address the House for 5 
minutes.)
  Ms. STEVENS. Mr. Speaker, last Thursday, the Jewish community in West 
Bloomfield, Michigan, narrowly avoided a fatal act of anti-Semitic 
terrorism. The temple may be burned and battered, but every single life 
inside that sacred space was saved and spared.
  Michigan is forever grateful to the private security guards who 
sprang into action and put their lives on the line to avoid serious 
tragedy. Because of their bravery and training, as well as the quick 
response of law enforcement, the congregants of Temple Israel are alive 
and safe.
  We saw the images on our television screens. Dozens and dozens of 
police vehicles showed up immediately. We thank Oakland Sheriff Mike 
Bouchard, along with the West Bloomfield and Bloomfield Township Police 
Departments for answering the call.
  In far too many houses of worship--in synagogues, in churches, in 
mosques--Americans now find themselves praying under the watchful eye 
of armed guards. No one should have to fear gathering at a synagogue, 
sending their kids to religious school, or simply practicing their 
faith.
  Tragically, this appears to be our new normal. Anti-Semitism is at 
its highest levels in decades. Driven by hate and vitriol and stirred 
up by social media, it has become widespread and all too common.
  It has consequences. Anti-Semitic incidents are up 900 percent over 
the last decade. In just one year, we have seen deadly attacks in 
Boulder, Colorado, as well as Washington, D.C. A temple in Mississippi 
burned down. America's only Jewish Governor and his family were victims 
of arson. America's Jewish community is scared by what this means for 
them and their place in our society.
  There is nothing like it when we see this hit our own community. When 
I got that first phone call on Thursday afternoon, I nearly fell to the 
ground.
  Michigan's 11th District is home to one of the most vibrant Jewish 
communities in the United States. They make our State and our country 
better in every way, and I am proud to represent them here in the Halls 
of Congress.
  I spent the last few days speaking with parents, religious leaders, 
and community members. I was honored to join the congregation for 
Shabbat services on Friday night. They are shaken, but they are 
resilient. They are grateful for the outpouring of support the world 
has shown their community in recent days.
  Mr. Speaker, we must call out anti-Semitism wherever we see it. It is 
no longer just enough to condemn it, though. We must root it out 
everywhere, and Congress must act. We have to fund Holocaust education 
programs. We must invest in efforts to combat anti-Semitism. We must 
urgently fund the Nonprofit Security Grant Program to ensure that 
houses of worship, regardless of faith, can keep their congregations 
safe from acts of terror.
  Congress has fallen short. The security guards who saved Temple 
Israel were only there thanks to private grant funding from the Jewish 
Federations of North America. We must make sure we never come this 
close to tragedy again.
  I want to offer a glimmer of hope. In the worst moment, we saw the 
best of Michigan. In the aftermath of the attack, the 140 students--
young children--and the staff inside this building were escorted safely 
across the street to the Shenandoah Country Club, founded by the 
Chaldean Iraqi immigrants who escaped persecution themselves.
  In a world of division, lies, and fear, the Chaldeans welcomed their 
Jewish neighbors with open arms. They offered them shelter, food, and 
safety. They gave the kids coloring books and M&M's. Chicken tenders 
and fries were brought out. The parents were given the space to process 
and call loved ones.
  Then 24 hours later, this Iraqi Christian country club hosted the 
whole congregation for Friday night Shabbat services.
  This is America, and this is Michigan. That selflessness, that 
patriotism, and the love for thy neighbor makes me so proud to be a 
Michigander and the Congresswoman for Oakland County. We come together 
in times like this because that is who we are.
  Mr. Speaker, Jewish families in Michigan and around the world are 
rightfully shaken, but they will do what they have done for centuries. 
They will endure. They will keep going. Temple Israel will reopen. We 
will rebuild. In Michigan, we write our own story. We will not be 
defined by one act of extremism.
  Our Jewish community should be proud of who they are. We want them to 
know that we see them and we stand with them from the neighborhoods of 
West Bloomfield to the Halls of Congress. We will be alongside them in 
times of celebration and in times of difficulty. They are resilient, 
they are unbreakable, and their Congresswoman is with them.

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