Just over a week after Hamas attacked Israel in a display of violence that shocked the world, Jewish New Yorkers flocked to Lincoln Center to hold a candlelight vigil for those who perished in the deadly assault.
Participants came Sunday with their heads bowed, candles in hands and tears in their eyes. The group gathered at 5 p.m. in the shadow of the iconic performance center may have been small, but their hearts were swelled with pain.
Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack has been dubbed Israel’s 9/11, but for some Jewish citizens the merciless slaughtering of babies and the taking of hundreds of hostages has left them even more distraught than that day 22 years ago.
“I was here on 9/11 and when I walked home from 14th Street and 1st Avenue that day, I closed the door and at least I felt safe behind my own door. But these people, their whole sense of security is shattered. I can’t imagine what that’s like. I don’t know how you go on in life, not thinking that the enemy is coming to get you at any time,” Marleen Litt told amNewYork Metro. “We know children — children, 18-years-old — that are now being called up and preparing to go into Gaza.”
Mourning the loss of life, the group stood in silent observance and slowly lit candles before watching them flicker in the evening wind. Jewish New Yorkers watching the conflict unfold from the Big Apple say they feel “helpless,” leaving them to hold vigils like these in support.
“It feels very helpless being here and just constantly l’m thinking about our friends and loved ones who are there and there’s not much we can do from here,” Adena Kirstein said. “So, basically, we are just keeping up with the news and keeping track of people over there. It’s heartwrenching.”
Gilly Mandelman was born and raised in Israel and has been in New York for six years now. Her family still lives there, including her twin sister. Still, despite the heartache, she says that her people are able to stick together in hard times.
“Jewish people, and specifically the Israeli people, have a very strong sense of community and camaraderie and shared destiny. And it was very, very strong in the past week,” Mandelman said. “As soon as this horrific thing happened, everybody immediately stood up and volunteered. And everyone in Israel is doing all they can do to help those who just lost everything.”
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