LANSING, Mich. — Maddy Gun is a Michigan State University sophomore who is proud of her Jewish roots.
"I came back to my apartment one day, and I saw that my mezuzah was ripped off and stolen," said Gun.
The decorative case held a prayer and is often found on the doorpost of Jewish homes.
Gun filed a police report with East Lansing police who were able to find the suspect through surveillance video.
"There were actually other people in my building that took down their mezuzah out of fear of being the next victim," said Gun.
Instead of pressing charges, Gun sat down with the suspect and taught him a lesson.
"I asked him if he'd be willing to take a tour of the Holocaust Memorial Center in Farmington Hills... and he immediately agreed. So he went on his tour. He paid me for the vandalized and stolen mezuzah," said Gun.
She could have done nothing after the mezuzah went missing, but Gun says she was inspired by her grandfather who is a Holocaust survivor.
"He gives speeches on his experiences all the time, and he always says, 'you can't be a bystander.' So, to me, I knew I couldn't be a bystander and I had to take action," she said.
Her actions earned her a spot on a panel at a conference in Los Angeles where she told her story in front of hundreds of people.
"Someone actually came up to me and said that I inspired her to go back to school and hang up a mezuzah of her own," said Gun.
Now, her pride is back on display.
"I'm so proud to be Jewish so I put up another one and it's been up ever since," she said.
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