“We have communicated with our relatives and friends in Israel via a number of messages. They are grateful for the support and the effort that has been made to check up on them during this difficult period. Sam Dubrinsky remarked, “Each one of them is pleading with us to pray for their own personal peace and protection.”
This Shabbat holiday will remain ingrained in Sam Dubrinsky’s memory forever, as he serves as CEO of the Springfield Jewish Community Centre.
This came after Israel had declared war on Hamas, a Palestinian militant group that had violated the boundaries of the country in order to launch strikes over the weekend. These attacks resulted in the deaths of hundreds of people and injuries to thousands more.
According to what Dubrisky has told Western Mass News, one of her primary concerns is about people’s safety.
“You know, one of the things that is giving me a lot of pause right now is the tremendous outpouring of support that we are witnessing for Israel and the Jewish community. How long will we be able to maintain that level of support in the event that the conflict goes on for an appreciable amount of time? Therefore, both from a protective and a comforting standpoint, it is difficult to remain seated in Massachusetts while being aware that so many people are through hardship in Israel. According to Dubrisky, “but we are going to support our community here and do what we can to support those who are in Israel.”
People from all over the world who are witnessing the horrific sights coming out of Israel are sending their support to Jewish communities in various parts of the world.
As the number of victims continues to increase, the New England chapter of the Anti-Defamation League is going out to say that assistance and prayers should not be restricted to the Jewish community, but rather should also be extended to Arabs in Israel and everyone else whose life has been damaged by the assaults.
“I would argue that our prayers should be directed towards the possibility that this will not tear apart the extremely fragile social fabric that exists between Jews and Arabs in Israel. It is very important to point out here that today not only saw the deaths of a large number of Jews but also of a large number of Arabs. “Bedouin communities were affected in the south, with Bedouins killed, as well as Arab security forces that were killed; therefore, we should be mindful of that as well,” said Carol Nuriel, Senior Director of the Anti-Defamation League.
Western Massachusetts The leaders of the Jewish community are anxious about the negative reactions that could come from individuals who do not share their faith.
According to Nora Gorenstein, the Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts is currently in a state of high alert.
“Because it is so difficult, we are making an effort to maintain vigilance while also providing genuine support for the feelings of everyone involved at this time. It’s such a shame. Simply put, it is extremely destructive in every way. “We’re thinking of the people who we know, the people who we don’t know, the stories that we’re hearing of people, especially those who are missing right now, and just trying to do what we can to join together and be supportive during this time,” says Gorenstein. “We’re thinking of the people who we know, the people who we don’t know, the stories that we’re hearing of people, especially those who are missing right now.”
Gorenstein also informs us that within the following few days, they will describe the various ways in which the local community can become involved and offer assistance.
During this time, the Jewish Federation of North America has announced that several Jewish federations throughout the United States will be holding rallies in the coming days in support of Israel. The Boston Federation will be holding a meeting on Monday for an event that they are calling a “Gathering in solidarity with Israel under Fire” here in the state of Massachusetts.
