Responding to the Synagogue Attack in Colleyville, Texas

About This Mini-Lesson

On Saturday, January 15, 2022, there was an 11-hour standoff at the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, in which the rabbi, Charlie Cytron-Walker, and three congregants were taken hostage by Malik Faisal Akram, a UK citizen. The ordeal ended after the rabbi threw a chair at their assailant, allowing the group to escape through a nearby exit. As new information about this story continues to emerge, the New York Times article ‘Grateful to Be Alive’: What We Know About the Synagogue Hostage Rescue provides an updated summary.

This act of terror is part of the rising climate of antisemitism across the globe. The Washington Post notes that due to the spike in antisemitism in recent years, Jewish houses of worship have become “forbidding gauntlets of protective measures: armed guards, searches, identity checks, questioning.” The members of Congregation Beth Israel received training from police, the FBI, the Anti-Defamation League, and other Jewish groups on how to respond to threats and acts of violence. Rabbi Charles Cytron-Walker credited this training with saving his and the other hostages’ lives.

This mini-lesson is designed to help guide an initial class discussion on the hostage situation at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas. The activities below support students to process their feelings, explore the long history of antisemitism, and learn ways in which they can stand up to hatred and bigotry.

What's Included

This mini-lesson is designed to be adaptable. You can use the activities in sequence or choose a selection best suited to your classroom. It includes:

• 3 activities 
• 2 extension activities
• Recommended articles for exploring this topic

Mini-Lesson Plan

Activity 1: Prepare for Class

Consider the ways in which your own students may have been impacted by the recent news. What support might your students need and what resources in your school, including counselors and social workers, could help provide this support?

Before discussing the news from Texas, it is important to revisit with students any class contract you have created together to ensure that the classroom is a safe and brave space for difficult conversations. If you have not created a class contract, plan to begin with a brief contracting activity before discussing the news.

Activity 2: Introduce and Discuss What Happened

Share with students a summary of what happened at Congregation Beth Israel of Colleyville, Texas, from a trusted news source. This Washington Post article provides a detailed account of the events. Either read the article together as a class or give students time to read it privately. ¹

Allow time for students to name what stands out to them from this news story and then to process and reflect, perhaps writing in their journals and then sharing some thoughts with a partner. You might use the following writing prompts:

• The synagogue attack in Colleyville, Texas, is disturbing and painful to learn about. It prompts us to ask many questions, some of which may not have an answer. What questions does this event raise for you? What feelings does it provoke?
• How do you see this event affecting people in your home, in your school, and in your community? Who in your community, including you yourself, might be feeling particularly vulnerable right now?

After students have had some time to write privately in their journals, you might ask them to share some of their thoughts using the Think, Pair, Share strategy. Or, if you do not think students are ready for sharing their thoughts verbally, you can ask them to add a comment about one or both questions to a graffiti board. Students can then volunteer to share thoughts and observations after reading through the variety of responses.

Activity 3: Consider a Range of Meaningful Responses

The students in your class may have a variety of needs in responding to the news from Colleyville. Jewish students are likely feeling vulnerable or traumatized, and they may need additional time for emotional processing and opportunities to feel support from classmates. Students who are not Jewish may be building an understanding of the serious and threatening impact of antisemitism. Even if they don’t have Jewish classmates, students might be looking for, or encouraged to find, positive ways to show support to those who have been targeted by antisemitism and to assert inclusive norms and values.  

Give students a few minutes to reflect on and discuss the following questions:

• What can we do if we ourselves are feeling vulnerable as a result of the events in Colleyville?
• How can we stand with and support others who are feeling vulnerable because of this news?

You can deepen students' thinking about how to respond meaningfully to the news from Colleyville by asking them to look again briefly at the Washington Post article. As students re-read the article, ask them to name those who stepped forward to offer support and solidarity even as the hostage situation was happening. Write students’ examples on the board.  

Then give the class a few more minutes to reflect on and discuss the following questions:

• What can we learn from these examples about who shares in the responsibility to stand up against antisemitism and support those who are targeted?
• What is at stake if members of religious minority groups in the United States do not feel safe to worship as they wish? Why is it important for us to respond to threats against houses of worship?
• What are some meaningful actions we can take, even if only in our own home, neighborhood, or school?

• 1The Washington Post provides a limited number of free articles per month, so you should ensure that your students have access to this article or find a different article from a trusted news source.