Our Sukkah
It is with a heavy heart that I write to share an update about a very upsetting incident that occurred at Hillel at Miami University this past weekend.
At around 2 a.m. on Saturday morning, three young men hopped our Hillel’s fence and intentionally threw our Sukkah to the ground. The incident was captured by our security cameras, and is currently being reviewed by the Oxford Police Department with the goal of identifying the perpetrators.
The desecration and vandalization of this ritual item and the damage done to our Sukkah is distressing enough. While (thankfully) we have an extra Sukkah, what has shaken our students and staff to the core and left me with a pit at the bottom of my stomach is the complete violation of our property, and of our sacred space.
Watching these three young men circle the Sukkah, enter the Sukkah (where they encountered Hebrew prayers on the walls), and then intentionally decide to destroy the Sukkah is simply devastating to watch. There is no other word.
While we don’t yet know the motivation or the individuals involved, we will do everything in our power to work with the administration and local law enforcement to identify the perpetrators. We have filed a report with the Oxford Police Department, who is reviewing the security footage and investigating the incident. We have also filed an incident report with the regional office of the ADL, and spoken with President Crawford’s office directly to alert the administration about this act of vandalism. You will find links to our security video below, which Hillel (and the Oxford Police Department) will be posting on our social media as well. If you have any knowledge of who these three are, please reach out to the Hillel at Miami office (513) 523-5190 or to the Oxford Police Department at (513) 524-5240.
To our students: Know that we are here for you, 24/7. If you need a place to decompress, discuss what has occurred, or just relax and have someone to talk to, our doors are open.
Our Sukkah may be broken, but our spirit is anything but. As upsetting as this incident has been, I feel so uplifted by the wonderful students and staff who have pride in our Jewish community, in our university, and in our Hillel – and no one and no act of vandalism can take that away. As we prepare to bake challah and share in the Shabbat meal this evening with our student's and their families for Family Weekend Shabbat, I find comfort in knowing that the pride our Hillel at Miami community feels for it's Jewishness cannot and will not be broken.
Shabbat Shalom!
