Samantha Woll

Samantha Woll (June 15, 1983[1] – October 21, 2023) was a Jewish community leader, founder of the Muslim-Jewish Forum of Detroit, the president of Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue in Detroit, Michigan. On October 21, 2023, she was found stabbed to death outside her home.[2] Her killing, amid increased tensions during the 2023 Israel–Hamas war, has drawn international attention, though police have not found evidence that her slaying had antisemitic motivations.

Early life

Woll graduated from Hillel Day School (1997), Cranbrook Kingswood Upper School (2001)[3][4] and attended the University of Michigan.[5]

Career

Woll was the founder of the Muslim-Jewish Forum of Detroit. In 2015, in the wake of the November 2015 Paris attacks, she helped bring high school students of Muslim and Jewish faith together through an essay and art contest in a public event at Wayne State University organized through Greater Detroit Muslim Jewish Solidarity Council.[6] U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib called Woll a friend and an organizing community member.[2]

From c.2017, Woll served as Detroit's Jewish Community Relations Council/AJC board of directors member[7][8] and was co-chair of the AJC's ACCESS Detroit Young Leadership Program.

In 2017 she was selected by the Detroit Jewish News as one of their "36 under 36".[9]

From 2019 to 2021, she worked as deputy district director on the political campaign of Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin. She also worked on the re-election campaign of Attorney General Dana Nessel.[2]

Woll became president of the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue in 2022.[10]

Death

On October 21, 2023, Woll was found stabbed to death outside her home in Detroit's Lafayette Park neighborhood. She was 40.[2] Her killing amid increased antisemitism during the 2023 Israel–Hamas war has drawn international attention. Police have not found evidence that her slaying had anti-Jewish motivations.[11][12]

References
  1. "Obituary for SAMANTHA WOLL". Archived from the original on October 22, 2023. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
  2. Ikonomova, Violet (October 21, 2023). "Detroit synagogue president Samantha Woll found dead outside her home". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on October 21, 2023. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
  3. Hitsky, Alan (May 11, 2001). "Cap & Gown". The Detroit Jewish News. pp. 3, 75–91. Archived from the original on October 23, 2023. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
  4. "Mazel tov class of 2001 / Hillel Day School class of 1997". The Detroit Jewish News. May 11, 2001. p. 74. Archived from the original on October 22, 2023. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
  5. Edmonds, Colbi (October 21, 2023). "Synagogue Leader Is Killed in Detroit, but Motive Is Not Known, Authorities Say". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 22, 2023. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
  6. "Muslim and Jewish Communities Come Together: 'We Refuse to be Enemies'". wdet.org. November 19, 2015. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on October 23, 2023. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
  7. "JCRC/AJC Election". The Detroit Jewish News. June 8, 2017. p. 22. Archived from the original on October 23, 2023. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
  8. "2023-2024 Board". JCRC/AJC. Archived from the original on October 23, 2023. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
  9. Allweiss Ingber, Esther (January 12, 2017). "Thirty-six under 36". The Detroit Jewish News. p. 30. Archived from the original on October 23, 2023. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
  10. Sabur, Rozina (October 21, 2023). "Prominent Jewish leader found stabbed to death in Detroit". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on October 21, 2023. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
  11. "Detroit police confident synagogue president's slaying 'not motivated by antisemitism'". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on October 25, 2023. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  12. "'Persons of Interest' Identified in Killing of Detroit Synagogue Leader, Police Say". The New York Times. October 23, 2023. Archived from the original on October 25, 2023. Retrieved October 26, 2023.


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