Jason Plotkin, the executive director of Temple Israel in Michigan, was on a Zoom call on Thursday afternoon when he heard a crash that sounded like cabinets falling over.

He realized there were no cabinets in the area of his office, though. He ended his call and peeked into the hallway outside the room.

“I couldn’t really make out what was going on. All I saw was damage in the hallway and smoke and people running. You can’t linger; you have to spur to action,” Plotkin said on Friday.

Plotkin’s office was next to the doors where an attacker, armed with a rifle, rammed his truck into the synagogue hallway. The congregation’s guards fired on the assailant and he was killed at the scene. The vehicle struck the lead guard, injuring him, but he is expected to recover, and there were no other injuries.

The response by Plotkin, the guards and other staff at the Reform congregation underlined the value of security training for US Jewish communities amid an array of threats to American Jews.

After seeing the chaos in the hallway, Plotkin said his “instincts took over and I immediately closed the window, locked the door and hid under my desk.”

He was huddled on the floor of his office, but smoke poured through underneath a side door, he began coughing, and struggled to breathe.

The attacker’s vehicle had ignited for reasons that remain unclear. Police later said that 30 first responders were hospitalized for smoke inhalation and others had to wear gas masks at the scene.

Plotkin did not yet understand what had happened, but heard “a lot of bang, bang, bang, which was our officers engaging with the perpetrator,” as the smoke overwhelmed him.

“I had to get out. I couldn’t breathe,” Plotkin said. “I had to make the decision to run out of the building and I weaved through different back offices and out the back door of the temple.”

Once outside, he ran into one of the congregation’s maintenance personnel. Law enforcement soon arrived. Police later said that officers were on the scene in under five minutes.

There were around 140 children in the building at the time, but most of them were in a different part of the building, which went into immediate lockdown.

Plotkin credited recent security training for the congregation’s effective response.

The FBI’s office in Detroit led an active shooter training program for the congregation’s staff at the end of January. The preschool faculty had a separate training session prior to that, Plotkin said.

FBI Detroit led an Active Shooter Attack Prevention and Preparedness (ASAPP) training for the clergy and staff of Temple Israel in West Bloomfield. The FBI course combines lessons learned from years of research and employs scenario-based exercises to help participants practice… pic.twitter.com/qvtJIkClkS — FBI Detroit (@FBIDetroit) January 30, 2026

FBI Detroit led an Active Shooter Attack Prevention and Preparedness (ASAPP) training for the clergy and staff of Temple Israel in West Bloomfield. The FBI course combines lessons learned from years of research and employs scenario-based exercises to help participants practice… pic.twitter.com/qvtJIkClkS

— FBI Detroit (@FBIDetroit) January 30, 2026

During the training session, the instructors coached the synagogue staff on the “Run, hide, fight” framework for those targeted in shootings. The outline teaches targets to run if possible, to hide if they can’t run, and to fight back as a last resort.

“One of the things about training is, your instincts — you don’t freeze. The intention is to give you some peace of mind on what you need to do,” he said.

“I was able to process what was going on and obviously I had to make a tough decision — whether I stay hidden or if I run,” he said. “I made the decision to run and it ultimately was good for me and I was able to get out safely.”

US Jewish communities have invested vast sums in security, particularly since the 2018 white supremacist shooting at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life congregation that killed 11 worshipers in a watershed moment for American Jews.

The Jewish Federations of North America estimated on Thursday that annual security costs for American Jews were around $765 million.

Since the Tree of Life massacre, deadly attacks on US Jews have taken place in New York, New Jersey, California, Colorado, and Washington, DC. The attackers have come from differing ideologies, including white supremacists, Islamists and the far left, highlighting the array of threats encircling American Jews.

US law enforcement has also repeatedly thwarted attempted terror attacks against Jews.

Previous victims have also credited security training with saving lives.

Charlie Cytron-Walker, the rabbi at the Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, credited training by the Secure Community Network (SCN) with helping him escape being taken hostage in 2022.

In that attack, an armed man invaded the synagogue and held Cytron-Walker and three other men hostage for 10 hours before being killed by law enforcement.

Temple Israel has security professionals, retired or active police, who are on staff.

“They have relationships with our congregants, with the kids in the school. They’re part of our family, and they did exactly what they had been trained to do,” Plotkin said. “In addition to the execution by all of our faculty, our staff and our security team, that’s why we’re all standing here today, because there certainly could have been a different scenario.”

Some US congregations use trained, volunteer congregants for security, while others hire contractors, in addition to employing measures such as security cameras and reinforced doors.

The Community Security Service (CSS), a nonprofit that trains volunteer synagogue guards around the US, has seen a surge in membership in recent years.

Jewish community professionals also often urge congregations to build relationships with local law enforcement. Police said after Thursday’s attack that they had long been in contact with the congregations, particularly in recent weeks, and praised the synagogue’s security team for neutralizing the threat before law enforcement arrived.

SCN issued a bulletin last week warning about potential threats to American Jews during the Iran war, citing the proliferation of antisemitism online and other threats.

The presence of firearms in Jewish institutions has long been a topic of debate in US Jewish communities. Some Jews have pushed for more firearms for protection, but the efficacy and wisdom of carrying guns is disputed.

SCN warned in a report last year that if synagogues allow firearms for security, the weapons should only be permitted in an organized, structured program, with strict oversight and coordination with law enforcement. The report warned that congregations should not allow firearms on an informal basis.

SCN has also said that if a synagogue seeks armed security, the best approach is to hire an on-duty, off-duty, or recently retired police officer, like the team at Temple Israel.

While Temple Israel, one of the largest Reform congregations in the US, has the resources to employ a dedicated, armed security team, smaller synagogues may not have the same ability.

SCN and CSS are part of an interlocking system of Jewish security organizations that has developed over the years, which also includes groups like the Community Security Initiative in the New York region, the Anti-Defamation League and krav maga groups. The different organizations cover synagogue security, online threat monitoring, data collation, coordination with law enforcement and public officials, public advocacy and street defense.

Plotkin said he had spoken with the wounded guard earlier Friday and that he was “on the mend.”

Plotkin spent his Friday morning preparing for Friday night Shabbat services and two bat mitzvahs that will take place over the weekend.

The services will not take place on Temple Israel’s campus, though, as the area remains an active crime scene.

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