Synagogue targeted in Michigan attack releases photos of interior devastation

Temple Israel, outside Detroit, releases photos showing the severe damage to the building after an attempted attack last week.

An armed attacker rammed a truck into the building, was fired on by synagogue security guards, and then died by suicide.

The truck struck a security guard, injuring him, and dozens of first responders were hospitalized for smoke inhalation.

During the attack, his truck ignited, sparking a fire in the synagogue hallway.

The photos show scorched floors and walls, burned photos of congregants, wires hanging from ceilings, smashed windows and debris littered on the ground.

Temple Israel released photos of the devastation from last week’s attack. It’s hard to look at these photos and not feel like it could have easily been my synagogue instead — an attack on any Jewish community is an attack on all of us.

Support rebuilding: https://t.co/aUhOOcEFsO pic.twitter.com/uLsCgArc7X

— Amy Spitalnick (@amyspitalnick) March 19, 2026

Another photo shows a children’s classroom, students’ snacks still arrayed on knee-high tables. Around 140 children were in the synagogue during the attack.

The synagogue says in a statement that it had not made photos public, but that some images had been published by media, causing “considerable harm to the survivors.”

“Today, we are sharing some images taken by our friend, Emily Elconin, to take back control of our narrative,” the synagogue says.

“We share these images because our community deserves to see our building through eyes of love, not through the lens of spectacle. This is our sacred space, and we will be the ones to tell its story,” the statement says, along with a link to contribute to rebuilding efforts.