Minnesota Hillel Vandalized; Investigation Underway

Minnesota Hillel was vandalized in the early hours of Friday morning, when three front windows and one of the glass doors were broken.

The damaged panes had been removed as of Saturday morning, although on close inspection, shards of glass are still visible inside the frame. There are also pieces of glass strewn across the sidewalk and steps outside of the building.

Benjie Kaplan, the outgoing executive director of Minnesota Hillel, said the organization is refraining from comment until the University of Minnesota Police Department has completed its investigation.

“We are grateful that no students or staff were in the building at the time of the incident, and for the speedy response of the UMPD and JCRC Security Team,” Kaplan said. 

Messages were left Saturday morning seeking comment from the University of Minnesota and UMPD.

According to a media report on Friday, there was no SAFE-U alert to report the incident. SAFE-U, the university’s safety notification system, will send out alerts when “police confirm that a significant emergency or dangerous situation that poses an immediate threat to campus has occurred and the campus community should take immediate action to preserve safety,” according to the school.

This story will be updated as needed.