What is Temple Israel? What to know about West Bloomfield synagogue

A person who drove a vehicle into Temple Israel on Thursday, March 12 is dead, according to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, following a midday incident at Michigan’s largest synagogue, which also houses an early childhood center.

It appears the individual in the vehicle is the only fatality, though details are still being confirmed, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said at the scene. The individual was shot at by security, the sheriff said. A security guard was injured during the incident, Bouchard said, and was taken to a local hospital and should be OK.

A shelter in place advisory that had gone out earlier, including to West Bloomfield High School, was lifted just after 3 p.m., according to West Bloomfield police.

Here is what to know about the synagogue:

Temple Israel is located at 5725 Walnut Lake Road in West Bloomfield Township.

On its website, Temple Israel says the congregation makes up 1% of all Reform Jews in North America. There are nearly 850 congregations in the United States and Canada that make up the Reform Jewish movement, according to the Union for Reform Judaism, which combines the tenets of Judaism while acknowledging the need for change and adaptation.

Rabbi Harold Loss is the longest-serving rabbi among Temple Israel’s contingent of seven rabbis, having joined in 1971. The Reform synagogue is “devoted to encouraging an atmosphere of lifelong learning and appreciation of Jewish culture,” according to its website.

Temple Israel lists several educational programs online, including an early childhood center, religious school and a museum to preserve Jewish history and culture. On its Facebook page, the synagogue in recent days posted pictures of programming for children.

Free Press staff writer Niraj Warikoo John Wisely, Andrea May Sahouri, Darcie Moran contributed.

Reach reporter Nushrat Rahman at nrahman@freepress.com.