Temple Israel shows inside of synagogue in aftermath of attack

Max Bryan and Anne Snabes, The Detroit News on Mar 19, 2026

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WEST BLOOMFIELD, Mich. — Pictures taken shortly after a gunman attacked a West Bloomfield synagogue last week with guns, fireworks and gasoline show black walls with debris on the floor and child-size tables with plates of food quickly left behind.

The pictures were released Thursday by Temple Israel on the synagogue's Facebook page, one week after the attack that has rattled the large congregation and Michigan as a whole.

In the post, the synagogue explained that it had chosen to not show the destruction inside its building, but that media outlets this week shared leaked videos and photos of the inside, "which have caused considerable harm to the survivors of last week's attack." The synagogue said posting its own photos, taken by a local photographer, is "to take back control of our own narrative."

"We share these images because our community deserves to see our building through eyes of love, not through the lens of spectacle," the post reads. "This is our sacred space, and we will be the ones to tell its story."

Temple Israel Rabbi Joshua Bennett said body camera video from the attack was released Wednesday night to a media source, which "created all sorts of renewed trauma."

"It was particularly triggering to victims of this tragedy who were in the building and families to see their children in that very, very challenging video," he said. "And while, on the one hand, the video shows amazing work of our law enforcement and the teams of teachers who saved our children, it was very difficult to watch."

Controlling the 'narrative'

Bennett, one of several rabbis at Temple Israel, said the temple decided to "take the lead on controlling the narrative." The Facebook post includes six photos, which were taken by Emily Elconin, a local freelance photographer, last weekend.

The six pictures show charred walls in one hallway, missing ceiling tiles and debris on the floor. Some of the damage is seen next to an early childhood center sign. A table in what appears to be the synagogue's early childhood center shows plates of food suddenly left behind.

Bennett said he wasn't in the building during the attack, but it was "very much a gut punch to me" to see images from the building's interior.

"I have been in the building, but it's different to see them beautifully curated and to show life stopping in action when the attacker came in," he said.

At a Shabbat service after the attack last week, Temple Israel's rabbis described their relief that the synagogue's Torahs were not damaged.

Temple Israel, which dates back to the 1940s and moved to its current location in West Bloomfield in 1980, describes itself as the largest reform synagogue in the country. It has more than 3,100 member families.

Rebuilding

Temple Israel officials said Sunday that its building will remain closed for the immediate future, although the congregation remains active.

Bennett said Temple Israel will be developing a plan for restoring the building "with considerations of security and the needs of our people in our building." He said the synagogue doesn't have a timeline at the moment for the work.

"We are all shaken and yet we are resilient," he said. "We will rebuild with strength. We will care for the mental health of our staff and our members, but this is a difficult time for all of us."

Ongoing investigation of attack

More than 600 members of law enforcement responded to the synagogue on the afternoon of March 12 after Ayman Ghazali, 41, of Dearborn Heights allegedly slammed his Ford F-150 through Temple Israel's doors on Walnut Lake Road, west of Farmington Road.

The truck's engine compartment caught fire after security guards fired at Ghazali, and "several jugs" of gasoline in the trunk were consumed, said FBI Detroit Field Office Special Agent In Charge Jennifer Runyan.

The FBI announced Friday it was investigating Ghazali's motive for the alleged attack. Runyan has called the attack a targeted act of violence against the Jewish community but has not commented further.

Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard is holding a news conference at 2 p.m. Thursday to discuss the attack and future steps.