Ann Arbor Jews launch drive for mosque destroyed by arson

Jewish Federation raises more than $3,000 since starting crowdsourcing campaign on Monday

By JTA 16 March 2017, 9:15 am

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Firefighters attend to the burned out Islamic Center of Ypsilanti in Michigan on March 11, 2017. (Screen capture/YouTube)

A crowdsourcing campaign by a Jewish federation in Michigan is raising money for a local mosque damaged in an arson attack.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor has raised more than $3,000 since the campaign launched Monday on the Crowdrise website. Most of the donations are between $18 and $100, many of them anonymous.

The building housing the Islamic Center of Ypsilanti, which also serves as a mosque, was destroyed in the March 11 fire.

A 16-year-old boy was identified and questioned as a suspect in the arson, as well as the arson a week earlier of a vacant house on the same block. Police do not believe the attack was a hate crime, according to reports.

The teen was released to the custody of his parents pending the filing of charges.