Anyone with information on the bigots who vandalized Jewish University of Michigan Regent Jordan Acker’s home and vehicle this week now have the change to make a quick $6,000.
The Anti-Defamation League in Michigan “is offering a $5,000 reward funded by the Mizel Family Foundation – and Crime Stoppers is offering an additional $1,000 – for info that leads to the arrest of the person(s) responsible for the vandalism at @JordanAckerMI’s home on 12/9,” ADL Michigan posted to X, along with a flyer. “All tips will remain anonymous.”
ADL is offering a $5,000 reward funded by the Mizel Family Foundation — and Crime Stoppers is offering an additional $1,000 reward — for info that leads to the arrest of the person(s) responsible for the vandalism at @JordanAckerMI’s home on 12/9. All tips will remain anonymous. pic.twitter.com/A06ggpccbz
— ADL Michigan (@ADLMichigan) December 13, 2024
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Acker, his wife, and three daughters woke to the sound of breaking glass at their Huntington Woods home around 2 a.m. on Monday, when they found vandals had smashed out a front window with a jar of urine.
Outside, Acker’s wife’s Chevy Traverse SUV had a new paint job, with the words “Divest” and “Free Palestine” in red spray paint scrawled on the side. The vandals also painted an upside-down triangle on the vehicle.
“I will not let fear win,” the Jewish regent posted to Instagram with photos of the vandalism. “I call upon members of the Michigan community to publicly repudiate this vile antisemitic intimidation, and to off full support to law enforcement to root out these bigots.”
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“My first thought when I heard the glass breaking is one of my daughters had gone downstairs to get something to drink and dropped it,” he posted to Facebook. “It was very loud and it sounded like dishes breaking.
“It was only about 30 seconds later when the police arrived that I came down and realized what had happened,” he wrote.
Acker told The Detroit News a neighbor called police to report at least two people running from the home. He noted the upside-down triangle “has been used by Hamas to mean something is a legitimate military target.”
“This is a threat,” he said. “This was not a protest. This is terrorism.”
The incident follows a series of increasingly hostile actions against UM regents by pro-Palestine activists tied to the university’s refusal to divest from investments in Israel and companies that support its defense.
This spring, pro-Palestine activists encamped on the university to demand divestment, and targeted the homes and businesses of regents when that didn’t happen.
In May, more than 30 masked vandals staged demonstrations at the private residences of multiple regents, where they erected tents, and littered lawns with fake corpses in blooded sheets, bloodied toys, and other garbage.
They also targeted Acker’s Southfield law office about six months ago, spray-paining “Free Palestine” and “Divest Now” on the building, an incident Acker told The News remains under investigation with no arrests. Vandals also defaced a sign for the Goodman Acker law firm, where Acker is senior partner, with the words “Free Palestine,” “Divest now,” “F*** You Acker,” and “UM Kills,” according to the Detroit Free Press.
Monday’s attack, which Acker likened to “Klan-like tactics,” came amid a developing ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas that could end the war and free remaining hostages.
Huntington Woods Department of Public Safety officials told The News they’re investigating the incident “in cooperation with other state and federal agencies,” though Jordan Hall, public affairs officer for the FBI in Detroit, said he could “neither confirm nor deny the existence of an investigation.”
“The University of Michigan condemns these criminal acts in the strongest possible terms,” a UM statement read. “They are abhorrent, and unfortunately, just the latest in a number of incidents where individuals have been harassed because of their work on behalf of the university. This is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. We call on our community to come together in solidarity and to firmly reject all forms of bigotry and violence.”
Others who have publicly condemned the Monday mayhem include Mark Bernstein, vice chair of the UM Board of Regents, U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Holly, U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Birmingham, former U.S. Rep. Peter Meijer, R-Grand Rapids, and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
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“It’s not enough to condemn privately,” Acker told The News. “We have to say publicly this is not acceptable no matter where you stand on the issue of Israel and Palestine.”