Erica Brecher knows the story of how her grandmother was planning to go to Israel in 1973, but that plan was disrupted by the Yom Kippur War.
Fifty years later, history repeated itself, not only for Brecher, but for dozens of Jewish women who were planning their own pilgrimage.
Ten Western New York women who were selected to take an eight-day trip to Israel instead have watched scenes of horror unfold following the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas.
The attack happened two weeks before their planned departure.
“I feel like we are privileged and lucky to be safe,” said attorney Florina Altshiler of Orchard Park, one of the 10 who were scheduled to make the trip.
As the weekend attack on Israel is dominating headlines around the world, members of Buffalo’s Jewish community are watching in horror. Some have relatives and friends living there, some have lived or visited there, and all are gripped with fear, anxiety and anger.
The excursion was sponsored by the Buffalo Jewish Federation, in collaboration with the group “Momentum” – formerly “Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project” – which describes itself as “a global movement focused on the greatest influencer – the Jewish mother.” The trip is meant to help Jewish women get in touch with their roots and culture.
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