Michigan synagogue returns Torah to ark for first time after terror attack

Congregants at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan, returned to their sanctuary for the first time since a March terrorist attack, marking the return of Torahs to the ark on Friday night. The service also coincided with the beginning of Rosh Hashanah. Cantor Neil Michaels welcomed the congregation, stating, "Welcome home," and reflecting that while a sacred community isn't defined by walls, "there is something about coming home." The return occurred nearly six months after Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, 41, drove a truck laden with improvised explosives into the synagogue, striking a security officer and firing his gun before taking his own life. Approximately 140 children and staff were inside at the time. Jonathan Greenblatt of the Anti-Defamation League commented, "Terror will not deter us. Our faith and resolve are stronger than your hate."