Jewish New Yorkers gathered at the Tribeca Synagogue in lower Manhattan on Oct. 18 for an evening of solidarity.
Photo by Gabriele Holtermann
Almost two weeks after the terror group Hamas attacked Israel, the Tribeca Synagogue in Lower Manhattan hosted an evening of solidarity and memorial prayer Wednesday that brought out hundreds of Jewish New Yorkers.
The service took place under the umbrella of heightened security around the Big Apple amid the volatile situation in the Middle East, and an increase of online threats since the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks. While the NYPD reported no specific, credible threats against the city Wednesday, a heavy police presence was stationed outside the synagogue on Water Street.
The service included renditions of the American and Israeli anthems; prayers for Israel and Israel iDefense Forces; and a call to action through prayers and donations to organizations such as the United Hatzalah, a volunteer-run emergency medical service. Currently, a few thousand volunteers from the organization are serving near Gaza.
Rabbi Erica Gerson said no words could describe the sorrow, shock and mourning in the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks.
“It’s a time for strength, not only on the battlefield but strength as a people,” Gerson said.
The Oct. 7 attacks were the worst acts of murder against the Jewish people since the Holocaust, as President Joe Biden and many others observed. At Wednesday’s service, some recalled their family’s personal history in vowing to “never again” let such barbarous acts be committed.
Oren Kozlowski shared the story of his grandfather, Ariyeh Klaperzak, who joined the Jewish resistance fighting the Nazis. He and a group of 20 partisans were captured by the Nazis and forced to dig their graves before being shot.
Miraculously, Kozlowski’s grandfather, who was shot twice, survived. After he was nursed to health by a “righteous gentile,” he rejoined the partisans. He was eventually captured…
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