Indianapolis, IN
Five arrested for allegedly filming a music video in historic Indianapolis synagogue
(JTA) — Five people were arrested in Indianapolis for allegedly breaking into the city’s oldest synagogue building to film a music video.
The group was found with video equipment at Beth-El Zedeck Temple after police responded to calls reporting a burglary on Saturday evening, according to the local NBC affiliate, WTHR.
Upon arrival, police saw several people in the driveway of the historic site and four people inside, according to WTHR.
One of the suspects, D’Shawn Parrish, was arrested after being chased by police.
The other arrests were of Anthony Bellamy, Jaylen Young, Aniah Weaver and a fourth person who was not named. Young was hired to record a “rap music video,” according to court documents obtained by WTHR.
The synagogue’s history
The site of the group’s musical aspirations, Beth-El Zedeck Temple, is a cornerstone of Indianapolis’ Jewish history.
The building was dedicated in 1925 and served as the home of the eponymous congregation, which was originally Conservative. For a time, the author and philosopher Milton Steinberg served as its rabbi.
When the building first opened, Indiana Gov. Edward Jackson was in attendance, said Mark Dollase, a vice president of the Indiana Landmarks Foundation, which was notable given the politics of the time.
“This was during the year of the Ku Klux Klan, and they had a great deal of political power in the state,” Dollase told the local Fox affiliate. “And certainly a governor speaking before a Jewish audience would have been significant.”
Another congregation later used the building until 1968, after which it was used by several Christian groups. It became vacant in the 2000s, according to Indiana Landmarks, which obtained the building in 2014.
Today, Congregation Beth-El Zedeck remains active and is located in another neighborhood of the city. It is affiliated with both the Conservative and Reconstructionist movements.
In its application for the National Register of Historic Places, the synagogue was described as “one of the most well preserved places associated with the history of the Jewish community in Indianapolis,” and is cited as an example of “the architectural heritage of the Jewish community.”
It’s still looking for a new tenant. The building is currently listed at $299,000 on the Indiana Landmarks website.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A man was arrested for stealing an ambulance, then crashing it into another vehicle and trying to run away.
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department got the call of a stolen ambulance on East 21st Street and North Shadeland Avenue around 11 a.m. Tuesday.
On the scene, officers said that the ambulance was unoccupied and parked in front of a business when it was stolen.
Just then, IMPD got a call saying someone found the ambulance abandoned one mile away.
On the 2100 block of Arlington Avenue, officers arrested the suspect trying to flee the scene on foot. IMPD says that the man crashed the ambulance into another vehicle, but there were no injuries.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department on Monday hosted 30 police chaplains from seven states to help them better understand police decisions around the use of force.
The chaplains are part of the International Conference of Police Chaplains, and the training aims to provide them with insights into the challenges officers face, which they can take back to their communities.
Sgt. Michael Daley, an IMPD use-of-force instructor, said Monday, “It’s difficult sometimes as an outsider to understand what the individual worker has to go through, and so it’s important for us to know, or to communicate to the chaplains, to tell them the story of what officers face on a daily basis.”
“People come in here with preconceived notions of what the officer is supposed to do and how the officer is supposed to handle those situations, and then, once they see the reality through these simulations of what’s actually involved in human behavior, perspectives change.”
Christopher Holland, a chaplain from the Bargersville Police Department, said, “Actual scenarios that are taking place are kind of true to life, so your blood pressure goes up. Your heart rate goes up. You’re dealing with issues very similar to what you would deal with in the community.”
“It gives me great empathy and it also gives me great understanding about what our officers go through every day, and how they place themselves in the line of danger in very intense situations and they make split-second decisions about it.”
Organizers hope after chaplains return to their communities with a better understanding of police challenges that they will help to improve community relations with police.
Two weeks after Founding Artistic Director Ben Rose resigned his post amid charges related to an alleged domestic violence incident, the Indianapolis Black Theatre Co. has named Tijideen Rowley as interim artistic director, according to the theater.
Rowley is the director of training and development for the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation grant that provides professional theater training at The District Theatre, where IBTC is a resident. The educational hub funded by the grant also offers a platform for developing plays related to Indiana Avenue’s history. Rowley holds a theater degree from Indiana University and an MBA from Boise State University.
Rose resigned March 10 after he was charged with felony strangulation, misdemeanor battery and misdemeanor battery resulting in bodily injury on March 5 by the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office after a late February incident in which he allegedly attacked a woman at his home.
An initial hearing for the case is scheduled for April 9.
Rose was selected in 2023 as the first artistic director of the new IBTC, a theater that launched with a $1.9 million investment from groups including the Central Indiana Community Foundation and the Lilly Endowment.
Rowley will begin his leadership tenure at the company by reviewing and restructuring the 2025 season with community input, according to the release. After Rose resigned, IBTC postponed the production of “Ain’t No Mo’,” which will now run from June 27 to July 13. Rowley also will focus on longterm growth and artist and community relationships, the theater said in a Sunday night news release.
“IBTC is focused on telling Black stories that challenge, inspire, and unite audiences. As we move forward, my focus is on strengthening our foundations and deepening our connection to the community,” Rowley stated in the release. “My vision, in line with the board, is to elevate IBTC into a marquee theatre company for Black storytelling—one that sets the standard in Indianapolis and beyond.”
IBTC also announced board changes in another release sent Sunday night. Board members Rich Trotman and Ira Mallory have resigned. New appointments include the Rev. Dr. Shonda Nicole Gladden, the District Theatre board’s vice chair and CEO of Good to the Soul, LLC, and Karen Dace, vice chancellor for diversity, equity, and inclusion at IU Indianapolis.
Senior government accountability reporter Hayleigh Colombo contributed to this report.
Contact IndyStar reporter Domenica Bongiovanni at 317-444-7339 or d.bongiovanni@indystar.com. Sign up here for the newsletter she curates about things to do and ways to explore Indianapolis. Find her on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter: @domenicareports.
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