The news of Hamas breaching the Gaza border and pouring into Israel was whispered among the shuls on Sh’mini Atzeres as people heard their voicemails and saw their screens light up with messages from relatives in Israel. Others heard about it from the security guards posted at the entrance.
Hundreds of Jews killed, kibbutzim overrun by terrorists, hostages taken to Gaza. Upon the conclusion of Simchas Torah, stories of heroism were reported, parents dying as they shielded their children, text messages left unanswered, reservists rushing into service, hunting down the infiltrators, securing the holes in the border fence, and rockets landing in cities in southern and central Israel.
With nightfall, the reality set in that our world had changed. We called our relatives in Israel to hear if they are alive, and we wrote down names of people in need of a r’fuah and for the safety of soldiers.
Immediately, WhatsApp groups in West Hempstead organized T’hilim gatherings, ride-shares for reservists heading to the airports, and donating materials to Israelis in need. Knowing that this was the deadliest attack on Israeli civilians since the rebirth of the country in 1948, and in the 50th year since the surprise attack that launched the Yom Kippur War, we recognized that we are living in a moment that will be studied for generations to come.
“I spoke to my son in Yerushalayim,” wrote Rabbi Joshua Goller of the Young Israel of West Hempstead. “He and his fellow yeshivah students were busy packing lunch for Israeli soldiers. I have read countless stories of doctors volunteering at hospitals, people mobilizing the shipping of supplies and care packages, and day cares popping up to take care of children whose parents were called up to fight.”
He encouraged his neighbors to share positive stories of “care, compassion, and community,” and to contribute by example: attending pro-Israel gatherings, davening, learning, and donating.
Our Israeli brethren are facing an existential threat from an enemy that has no respect for human life. It sends human waves against defenseless civilians and puts its own people in harm’s way. On this side of the ocean, there are hostile crowds in Times Square, Congress without a Speaker, and a liberal culture that sees deaths on both sides and regards the larger military force as the apparent aggressor.
At Chabad of West Hempstead, an emergency T’hilim gathering at 10 p.m. on Isru Chag brought a crowd as others davened at home. The next day, HANC showed a video of Israelis cheering on their soldiers, the students prayed for their safety, and made signs expressing support for them. In the afternoon, Chabad organized an event for children, where Rebbetzin Chaya Rochel Lieberman carefully explained the situation to them and the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s message of taking on a mitzvah during an emergency. She spoke of her family members in Sderot, a city on the Gaza border. On Tuesday night, the Young Israel of West Hempstead hosted its night of t’filah and chizuk, which was attended by many in the community. A couple of hours earlier, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman and his colleagues in local government organized a rally at Eisenhower Park to demonstrate the close connection between Long Island and Israel.
Across town at Beis Torah U’Tefillah, Rabbi Uri Lesser spoke of the past month and its connection to this war. “T’shuvah, T’filah, u’Tz’dakah maavirin es roa ha’g’zeirah” – we are truly in a g’zeirah raah – a horrible decree – and the only way to get through it is with these three things,” he wrote and then outlined examples of prayer, learning, and charitable giving in the community.
In the neighborhood chats, there are members whose relatives are among the captured whose status is unknown, and the dead who have yet to receive a Jewish burial.
We pray for family members in Israel living in a state of war, hiding in their homes, serving on the front lines as soldiers and first responders, in captivity, and in mourning. A distant cousin called me to express sympathy, knowing that I am the observant one in our extended family, who keeps close ties to Israel. I offered him advice. “If you have a relative in Israel, perhaps fourth cousins, call them. Ask how you can help.”
By Sergey Kadinsky
