Samantha Woll in a photo campaigning for Obama in the 2008 election. Brian Brainerd (Getty Images)
According to authorities, Samantha Woll, a 40-year-old woman who headed a synagogue in Detroit, Michigan, was found stabbed to death in her home in that city this Saturday. The police are investigating the causes of the murder and, with the help of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), are trying to determine whether it was a hate crime.
“I am shocked, saddened and horrified to learn of Sam’s brutal murder.” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel tweeted. “Sam was the nicest person I have ever met. She was driven by her sincere love for her community, her state and her country. “Sam has truly used his faith and activism to create a better place for everyone,” he added, posting a photo of the two of them with Woll wearing a T-shirt in support of the prosecutor.
I am shocked, saddened and horrified to learn of Sam’s brutal murder. Sam was the nicest person I have ever known. She was driven by her sincere love for her community, her state and her country. Sam has truly used his faith and commitment to create a better place for everyone. pic.twitter.com/gIYRP4USaj
– Dana Nessel (@dananessel) October 21, 2023
On Saturday morning, police received a call that a person was on the ground and unresponsive. When officers arrived, they found Woll’s body with numerous stab wounds and a “trail of blood” leading to her home, where investigators believe the crime took place, according to a statement from Detroit police revealing the identity of the man The victim was not identified. Woll was pronounced dead at the scene.
The victim was the CEO of the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue, located in downtown Detroit. The synagogue mourned her death on social media: “We are shocked and saddened to learn of the unexpected death of our board chair Samantha Woll,” the synagogue wrote on Facebook. “May his memory be a blessing,” he added.
“Today I was devastated to learn of the loss of one of Detroit’s great young leaders: Samantha Woll,” Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan wrote on X, the social network formerly called Twitter. “A few weeks ago I shared a joyful day with Sam at the dedication of the newly renovated Downtown Synagogue. “It was a project she led with great pride and enthusiasm.”
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The killing of the Jewish leader, who had also been a Democratic Party political activist, came amid Israel’s offensive on Gaza in response to the Hamas attack a week ago, raising fears it was a hate crime. A six-year-old Muslim boy, Wadea Al-Fayoume, was murdered a week ago in Plainfield, Illinois, by his landlord, Joseph Czuba, 71, who, according to the version released by police, shouted, “Muslims must die.” “!”
Annual hate crime statistics released this week by the FBI show that anti-Semitic hate crimes increased 25% from 2021 to 2022. Anti-Semitism accounted for more than half of all reported religion-based hate crimes.
When United States President Joe Biden learned of this data, he released a statement: “We look to Americans concerned about violence at home as a result of Hamas’ evil acts of terrorism in Israel.” We hear to you. And I asked members of my team, including the Secretary of Homeland Security: [Alejandro] Mayorkas and the Attorney General, [Merrick] Garland to prioritize preventing and combating any emerging threats that could harm Jewish, Muslim, Arab American or other communities during this time. “My government will continue to fight anti-Semitism and Islamophobia,” he said.
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