ELPD Still Investigating Vandal Attack at MSU Hillel in East Lansing

According to the East Lansing Police Department, there is still “ an open and ongoing investigation” into the October 19 act of vandalism at the Charles Street headquarters of MSU Hillel, a student life organization for Jewish students in East Lansing.

The damage took place in the early hours, and was directed at the community’s Sukkah, a temporary shed-like structure.

Sukkahs are traditionally built by Jews during the holiday of Sukkot and decorated in a harvest theme to serve as a reminder of both the temporary huts farmers lived in during the harvest, and the temporary houses where the Israelites lived during forty years of wandering in the desert after the Exodus from slavery.

Jewish families and communities eat and study in the Sukkah and, depending on local climate, they may also sleep in them.

Hillel is the largest Jewish campus association in the world, offering a range of activities and holiday celebrations for students. MSU Hillel students participate in cultural events, host a variety of speakers and forums, and engage in community outreach to bridge gaps in understanding.

The perpetrators of the October 19 destruction were captured by security cameras, but have not yet been found.

An October 21 post on MSU Hillel’s Facebook page describes the two men as appearing “extremely inebriated” and includes several still pictures of the men. (One is reproduced above, and additional ones below.)

According to ELPD’s Deputy Police Chief Steve Gonzalez, “Our Detectives have been following up on many leads in an attempt to identify the suspects. At this point we have not made any positive ID on those responsible despite wide publication of video/images from the Hillell's security cameras.”

If you are able to identify the suspects or have other information that may lead to an arrest, Gonzalez asks that you contact the East Lansing Police Department Detective Bureau at (517) 319-6884. Anonymous tips can be sent through this link.