Leo Terrell, the senior Justice Department official overseeing the Trump administration’s efforts to combat antisemitism, visited a Michigan shul as the administration expands its outreach to Jewish communities ahead of November’s midterm elections.

Terrell, who chairs the Justice Department’s Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, attended an event Wednesday at Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield, a suburb of Detroit. The gathering was organized with the Michigan chapter of the Zionist Organization of America and several Jewish community organizations.

The Justice Department promoted the event as the opening stop of Terrell’s American Tour Against Hate. The gathering included a discussion with Zionist Organization of America president Morton Klein and was intended to address concerns about antisemitism and Jewish community safety.

The event also drew attention because registration materials offered paid sponsorship opportunities for the Zionist Organization of America while the gathering was promoted through a Justice Department website. The organization’s Michigan executive director, Kobi Erez, said the primary purpose was combating antisemitism rather than fundraising. The visit comes as Michigan prepares for a closely contested Senate race between Republican Mike Rogers and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)