A Jewish student at the University of Michigan was attacked early Sunday morning in what the Ann Arbor Police Department described as “a bias-motivated assault.” 

The 19-year-old student, who has requested that his identity not be disclosed, was walking near campus and in proximity to the Jewish Resource Center on Hill Street, at approximately 12:45 a.m. when a group of unknown males approached from behind and asked if he was Jewish, according to a police report. When the victim replied yes, the suspects reportedly proceeded to assault him. The suspects then fled the area on foot. The victim suffered minor injuries and did not require hospitalization.

The Anti-Defamation League announced it will offer a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspects. “ADL is horrified to learn of an alleged antisemitic assault on a Jewish UMich student,” the group’s CEO, Jonathan Greenblatt, tweeted. 

Rabbi Davey Rosen, CEO of the University of Michigan Hillel, told Jewish Insider that Hillel staff met on Monday morning with detectives from the Ann Arbor Police Department (AAPD) and is convening a joint meeting Monday afternoon with AAPD, the University of Michigan Police Department and additional Jewish organizations on campus and in Ann Arbor.

“These meetings follow recent antisemitic incidents that have targeted Jewish students and the Hillel community,” Rosen said. 

Based on the rise of antisemitic incidents last year around Michigan’s campus, Michigan Hillel increased its security presence at its facility before the new academic year began. The added security measures, Rosen said, include “organizing walking groups and ride shares for students who do not feel safe traveling alone” and “encouraging students to reach out to the Hillel team for support and to report any concerns or incidents to the University Dean of Students office.” 

“We take bias-motivated crimes very seriously and have assigned this incident to our hate crimes detective,” the AAPD said in a statement, adding that the department is asking for tips as there is currently “limited information on the suspects.” 

AAPD Chief Andre Anderson said in a statement that the department has talked to the University of Michigan police staff, “and our goal is to discuss safety over the next few weeks.”

“There is absolutely no place for hate or ethnic intimidation in the City of Ann Arbor,” Anderson said. “We are committed to vigorously investigating this and other hate-motivated incidents and will work with the County Prosecutor’s office to aggressively prosecute those who are responsible.” 

In a campus-wide letter on Monday, the university’s president, Santa Ono, condemned the incident. “Antisemitism is in direct conflict with the university’s deeply held values of safety, respect and inclusion and has no place within our community,” Ono said.  

Antisemitism and anti-Israel activity has roiled the University of Michigan campus repeatedly since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. In June, the exterior of the university’s Board of Regents member Jordan Acker’s law office was vandalized overnight with the phrases “FREE PALESTINE,” “DIVEST NOW,” “FUCK YOU ACKER” and “UM KILLS” scrawled on the walls, walkway and front window. The incident was the second time since Oct. 7 that Acker, who is Jewish, has been targeted by anti-Israel demonstrators. 

Last week, nine anti-Israel demonstrators and two counter protesters were charged for their involvement in incidents relating to anti-Israel protest encampments that sprung up on the university in the spring.