A Detroit synagogue president was found fatally stabbed outside her home Saturday morning.

Samantha Woll, 40, led the congregation of Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue. The synagogue confirmed Woll’s death Saturday in a statement writing, “We are shocked and saddened to learn of the unexpected death of Samantha Woll, our Board President.”

“May her memory be a blessing,” the statement continued.

Authorities said a 911 call was made to Woll’s home early Saturday, reporting an individual lying on the ground unresponsive. Police discovered multiple stab wounds on Woll’s body and found a trail of blood leading to her house, where they believe the crime occurred.

An investigation is underway. At this time, the motive for the crime remains unknown.

  • halfempty@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    Far right white supremacist killings of Jews is far more prevalent in the US than Muslim killings of Jews. My first suspects would be among the extreme right.

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      Ordinarily I’d agree with you, but Occam’s razor doesn’t. Metro Detroit is home to the largest Arabic community in the country. I believe Jewish/Arab relations are pretty sound there, but given the current circumstances…

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      Far right arab supremacists also exist. Impossible to rule them out especially given the timing and circumstances.

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        place your bets place your bets will it be a nazi, a klansman, a jihadist, death by cop (never discount the possibility) or just some other random murderer? AAAAAMERRRRRICA THE LAND OF FREEDOM AND LIBERTY

        • superguy@lemm.ee
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          Forgetting the biggest cause of murders for women in the US: it was someone they knew, probably a lover.

          • Boddhisatva@lemmy.world
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            Police discovered multiple stab wounds on Woll’s body and found a trail of blood leading to her house, where they believe the crime occurred.

            A distinct possibility since she was stabbed at home.

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          Right? Stabbings are a strictly American phenomenon, as is racially or religiously motivated violence and just violence in general. Don’t see any of those happening anywhere else in the entire world, people in other countries have pillowfights at most. America wake up, everywhere else is a utopia while you slide into a dystopia.

    • Rusticus@lemmy.world
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      Maybe but the extreme right are mostly cowards that like to use firearms. A stabbing is off brand for right wing MAGAts.

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      Out of morbid curiosity… are the skinheads white supremacists rooting for the Israelis or Hamas? Usually they don’t like brown people, but they also don’t like Jewish people.

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        I realize this isn’t your point but I feel the need to point out that skinheads are not nazis - it is unfortunately a very well working project of cultural appropriation by the racists.

        In the scene racist skinheads are mostly referred to as boneheads, a term which I think makes much more sense.

          • ArcaneSlime@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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            Well one “pile of shit” is racist, the other “pile of shit” is poor and works in manufacturing where they don’t want their hair ripped into a machine, and also likes punk music. Imo, to call the second ones piles of shit for simply being poor workers with haircuts that reflect work safety and like semi-heavy music (what skinheads actually came from that you’re sarcastically pretending to understand) makes you a classist (remember, know your shit, you aren’t racist but seems you’re classist) pile of shit. Also groups like SHARP exist.

            Know your shit indeed, especially before being so confidently incorrect.

          • TopRamenBinLaden@sh.itjust.works
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            You’re naive if you have never seen a non racist skinhead. Most of the skinheads at punk and metal shows in my area are SHARPS(Skinheads Against Racial Prejudice) and are also black or hispanic. They drove out the local racist skinheads from punk and metal shows by ruthlessly attacking anyone who showed up wearing Nazi bullshit. They are fine people, the kind of people you want as a neighbor.

            Not only that, but the first skinheads were just working class Ska music fans of all races. The shaved head image was stolen from them by racist skinheads in the 80s.

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        They’re rooting for the Israelis because they want the ethnostate project to succeed.

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          They know no one outside of their cult is going to support them even if the Israeli government succeeds in committing genocide, don’t they?

          Even if in their eyes we are blatant hypocrites, it’d be better to be a hypocrite than to give people like that an inch.

          • hark@lemmy.world
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            It still stands as an example of a successful ethnostate. It’s also a destination where they can claim that Jews can be expelled to and that it should be “fine”.

            • pinkdrunkenelephants@lemmy.cafe
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              And no one listens to white supremacists because we understand life is not black and white like that, and by their reputation alone, white supremacists will never ever get what they want.

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        In general, they have different things they perceive and admire about the two. Please know, I’ll be using some of their words. In Hamas, they see people battling “Degeneracy” and “Jewish Influence.” There is an admiration for Israel, as an theocratic apartheid ethnostate. Seriously, at protests, Ive seen them carry Israeli flags before. Mostly, though its a party. “The subhumans” are fighting, one will be destroyed and one will look bad in the eyes of the international community.

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        Many Israelis are brown people, about 20 % are Palestine and there are also Muslims in Israel. Hating Israel sadly isn’t an easy litmus test for Nazis.

        I guess the most Nazi standpoint on Israel-Palestine conflict is to rub one’s hands.

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        Definitely the muslims. Believe it or not the far right doesn’t hate muslims, just don’t want to be around them. They think American involvement in the muslim world was a result of American military being used for Jewish interests. But they consider Israel to be the leading force in global destabilization. So 100% they are rooting for Palestine.

    • CrapConnoisseur@lemmy.frozeninferno.xyz
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      And the current geopolitical climate could give the far right cover for committing antisemitic crimes. Particularity for crimes less serious (and therefore less well investigated) than murder, they can commit hate crimes and blame it on the Arabs.

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      I know we’re speculating here but imo given what’s going on between Palestine and Israel I would be inclined to believe the latter rather than the former.

    • cricket97@lemmy.world
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      what a bunch of cope lol. there are orders of magnitude more jew hating muslims than “white supremacists” in the usa.

      • funkless_eck@sh.itjust.works
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        the DHS would disagree with you, seeing as they named White Nationalist groups the biggest terrorist threat to the USA in 2020

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          I’m sure there are no political motives that influenced that.

          Also that was 3 years ago. In the current climate I’m not sure I would be so sure. You have muslims ripping down posters of dead israelis all over the united states.

  • Brutticus@lemm.ee
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    Local Jew in Detroit here. Woll was my friends’ cousin. Another friend was in elementary school with her at Hillel.

    People are shook up and scared. People aren’t sure if this is the crest of a wave of antisemitic violence, or something more senseless.

    • whoisearth@lemmy.ca
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      My 3 kids are half Jewish through my ex wife. I hear you and I had a chat with them this morning about this. Although I’m in Toronto, Canada the same bigots are here and have been empowered by the same vitriolic rhetoric floating around.

      I told them that hate is hate and if they hear it directed specifically at them or a Muslim in their school (friends with Iranians) for them to report to the teachers and to me. Hate will not be tolerated.

      Please stay safe.

      • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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        My daughter is also half-Jewish (I’m Jewish, my wife is not). I’m always worried about her getting bullied in school for it. I tell her to never tell anyone.

        One of her elementary school teachers just assumed she was Jewish because I look stereotypically Jewish and treated her differently because of it.

    • anarchost@lemm.ee
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      Just in general, antisemitic hate crimes have been disproportionate for a pretty long time, regardless of the situation in Gaza.

  • S_204@lemmy.world
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    May her memory be a blessing.

    Those who spread lies and disinformation are responsible for this death. The Jew hate needs to stop. This woman was American, not Israeli.

    • Adonnen@lemmy.world
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      Would that be better? If some Israeli Jew living in the US had been stabbed?

      • S_204@lemmy.world
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        Why does the better alternative in your world have someone being stabbed?

        A better option to me is nobody gets hurt that isn’t involved in the conflict.

        • flamingarms@feddit.uk
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          I think they’re pointing out that it sounds like by saying “she was American, not Israeli” that you think it would have somehow been less awful if she was Israeli.

    • cricket97@lemmy.world
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      There is no evidence this was fueled by antisemitism. People get stabbed all the time in american cities and no one bats an eye.

    • AdamHenry@discuss.tchncs.de
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      Stabbings are usually regarded as a crime committed by someone who knew the victim. I believe this was not a hate crime but something done by the mind of either revenge or other assorted modes of emotional violence. I believe this crime has entered the news churn to carry out an agenda.

      • S_204@lemmy.world
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        Are you actually that stupid or are you trolling?

        For all the bigots out there who say the issues with Israel not with jews. This is a shining example of the fact that it is actually Jews, not Israel that people are targeting.

        • TranscendentalEmpire@lemmynsfw.com
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          The way that you framed that statement makes it seem as if you can’t have a problem with a state’s actions without also hating its people.

          Secondly, this woman was victimized in her own home, which usually implies that she knew the perpetrator. It could still be racially motivated, but there’s not a lot of evidence supporting that. If she had been killed near or around a synagogue, it would make more sense to jump to that conclusion… However, for the time being it’s best to wait and see what the police say before calling everyone a terrorist.

          • S_204@lemmy.world
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            And the way your framing this intentionally diminishes the clear rise in Anti Semitic violence we’re seeing across America and the world.

            We have clear recent examples demonstrating that your argument doesn’t hold up.

            You’re an Anti Semite and you’re disgusting.

            • TranscendentalEmpire@lemmynsfw.com
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              And the way your framing this intentionally diminishes the clear rise in Anti Semitic violence we’re seeing across America and the world.

              Yeah my dude, violence against minority populations has risen across the board in the last few years. That’s kinda a known issue when people start electing white supremacists.

              What we were speaking of specifically is people committing violence against Jewish people for their perceived association with the actions of the Israeli state.

              We have clear recent examples demonstrating that your argument doesn’t hold up.

              Do we though? I mean, I’m not combing over the Internet for Islamic reprisal attacks on Jewish Americans, but I haven’t seen attacks that would justify your claim.

              You’re an Anti Semite and you’re disgusting.

              You know every time you inappropriately utilize that label it diminishes its impact and warps its definition. Just because someone doesn’t agree with your point of view, doesn’t mean they hate your entire race. It’s kinda ridiculous to attempt to frame it that way considering the historical context.

        • nucawysi@lemmy.world
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          IDK neither. I could be stupid, you’re on to something. I’m just asking a question to get people to think. Apparently, thinking makes you mad and its my fault for making you mad. Sorry about that.

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    At this time, the motive for the crime remains unknown.

    Unknown? Clearly this prominent Jewish community leader in Detroit was viciously stabbed to death for her playstation, there was no other reason possible.

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      • Attempted robbery
      • Hate crime
      • Targeted attack by someone with a personal vendetta unrelated to Woll’s religion
      • Random attack by a nutter

      Among any number of other potential motives. There’s a definite hierarchy of probability but random blind assertions in public are not how you build an actual fucking criminal case.

      • athos77@kbin.social
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        You missed the most obvious one: most women are murdered by men they know, and largely by current or former intimate partners. Especially since

        [Police] found a trail of blood leading to her house, where they believe the crime occurred.

      • Nurse_Robot@lemmy.world
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        Thank you. Also worth noting is that this is Detroit, so, while death is always tragic, it’s not unheard of in the city.

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        Nope. All available evidence you need is in the article, didn’t you read it? Her religion. That’s it, case closed.

        But… I guess if that’s somehow not enough, we could just to sprinkle some crack on her.

        Edit: I assumed the Dave Chappelle sprinkle crack callback would make the sarcasm clear. Apparently not.

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        When you take everything you read literally and as Very Serious Business, do you do it as a studied effort, or are you just like this?

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              It’s so weird how you could have just said “you know what bro, that makes sense.” and grown a bit from the experience, but instead you thought “yOU tAkE tHInGs too LiTeraL” was an appropriate response.

              Fuck me if I’ll ever understand these types of people.

        • thefartographer@lemm.ee
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          I know it’s sometimes hard to decipher sarcasm from written word, but holy shit people took your joke insanely seriously.

          Stay away from stand-up comedy, someone might discover you own a PlayStation as well.

          FWIW, I chuckled. What a sad fucking story and what a sad fucking state that you’re consoling humor went so unappreciated.

          • dannoffs@lemmy.sdf.org
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            Or maybe sarcastically implying that a murder was a hate crime when we know literally nothing about the situation is a shit joke. Immediately screeching like a toddler after very mild pushback isn’t a good look either.

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              I’m just not reading it as screeching, but what do I know? I misread tone all the time.

              Either way, I’m morbidly curious what they’re going to find about this. Stabbing murders tend to be incredibly personal, which could imply that this was done by someone close to her or someone wanted to delight in her suffering.

              I’m no detective, just some random internet dude, but if not a hate crime, whoever murdered this poor lady certainly had some strong feelings about her.

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      You can’t make any assumptions in these situations. If police are known for anything, it’s being level-headed and unbiased.

    • ArcaneSlime@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      Well, that is the prevailing theory (by the anti self defense crowd anyway) for why home invasions occur and is commonly used as the reasoning for why self defense is bad.

      In my opinion this is a case for why self defense is necessary (because clearly not everyone is “just here for your TV”), but Everytown would prefer this outcome to her shooting the stabber, so…

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      The article has been revised to clarify for you

      Authorities said a 911 caller early Saturday reported a person lying on the ground unresponsive at Woll’s home.

    • ArcaneSlime@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      Know what street you’re on, see the house numbers on the mailbox, dial 911, say “hey yes it seems someone is injured outside [ADDRESS], I noticed while walking/driving by.”

      Seems easy enough to me.

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    Taking down the article as to without a word why. lWhy would you do that and run away without an explanation ? leave it up as the investigation continues. Ihttps://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2023/10/22/police-investigation-jewish-leader-samantha-woll-slaying-vigil/71282542007/ you coward .

  • weirdwallace75@lemmy.world
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    However, if you link this to an uptick in antisemitism tied to lies about Israel spread by “decolonizers” you’re Noticing Things, And Therefore Wrong.

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        Gaza or the West Bank? If both, then no and yes. Israel dismantled settlements in Gaza in 2005. Unfortunately, settlements continued in the West Bank, aggravating efforts to conclude the hand off of two of the three districts there.

        Hamas is from the Gaza Strip, not the West Bank though. Gaza relations have been weird, but stabilizing with daily work travel through the border. Arguably, Hamas attacked now for fear that relations would continue to improve with Gaza, setting back their mission.

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          Both. Israel has illegally colonized Palestinian land in Gaza and the West Bank for 60 years now.

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                A blockade is not an occupation, unless you’re suggesting that the British were actually occupying all of Germany and Austria-Hungary in 1916.

                Note that I’m not saying that a blockade is not harsh or oppressive, only that it is not in fact the same thing as an occupation.

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                  Israeli soldiers, since 1967 , have been occupying Palestinian Gaza.

                  The UN also agrees that Israel is occupying Palestinian land in Gaza.

                  Forcibly invading a land and residing on its soil may not be interpreted as an occupation by certain people in certain circumstances, but I can’t interpret the forceable invasion and residing on Palestinian soil, and imposition of Israeli laws on Palestinian citizens as anything other than colonization, or illegal occupation.

          • SCB@lemmy.world
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            It’s impossible to claim that land as Palestinian when Palestine has never been a country and that land has never exclusively belonged to what are now called Palestinians

            • Varyk@sh.itjust.works
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              Yes, according to the people committing genocide and bombing schools and hospitals, Palestine is not a country and Palestinians are not human.

              You’re in like company.

              • SCB@lemmy.world
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                Palestine has literally never been a country, in all of human history.

                Also Israel offered Palestinians their own country multiple times and Palestinian leadership turned it down. The situation is far more complex than you’re pretending.

                • Varyk@sh.itjust.works
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                  The primary occupying nation and all people supporting the genocide of Palestine totally agree with you, so. Good. For you guys. To share that opinion.

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    Damn. I’m sure this is exactly what any non-malicious deity would want. /s because I fear it’s needed.

      • SCB@lemmy.world
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        His post is not comparing levels of past acts of terrorism but rather current levels of antisemitism.

        Anyone of any view can be radicalized into violence. Hop on over to Hexbear and see the calls for violence for yourself. That’s the same environment that produced multiple terrorists on 4chan.

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          The point is that it’s an objective fact that the threat to human life from the far left vs the far right has not been at all comparable in recent decades in the US. It just hasn’t. The far left has committed a lot of violence against property, but has almost entirely stayed away from interpersonal violence. This is not true of the far right which to the contrary has racked up a pretty impressive body-count over the last 10 or so years.

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            Yes I agree that when you change what the discussion is about, the facts will differ.

        • SkybreakerEngineer@lemmy.world
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          The test is whether you have the mental agility to recognize that there can be more than two opinions on something, and you failed.

    • stevedidWHAT@lemmy.world
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      Name some.

      two extreme ends of a political spectrum are not at all similar. While some responses/behaviors might be similar, that doesn’t extend to the people or ideologies which was the fucking subject to begin with.

      Washed and Kentucky fried brains at their best right here.