‘We must come together.’ Jewish leaders in Bradenton react to violence in Israel
As conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant movement Hamas reached a violent head over the weekend, local religious leaders in the Bradenton area are wishing for peace.
A surprise attack by Hamas on civilians Saturday left at least 900 people dead and prompted Israel to declare war on the group, according to the Associated Press. Hamas cited Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, continued conflict over the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and the treatment of Palestinians held in Israeli jails in its explanation of the attack, the New York Times reported.
Israel has initiated retaliatory airstrikes that have killed more than 600 people, according to the Associated Press.
Human rights organizations including Amnesty International have accused Israel of maintaining a system of apartheid in occupied Palestinian territories. Israel has denied those accusations, but concerns over human rights violations in the region led the United Nations to form a commission to investigate “all alleged violations of international humanitarian law.”
In a statement on Tuesday, the UN commission condemned the actions of both sides of the conflict.
“Reports that armed groups from Gaza have gunned down hundreds of unarmed civilians are abhorrent and cannot be tolerated. Taking civilian hostages and using civilians as human shields are war crimes,” the statement said.
“The Commission is gravely concerned with Israel’s latest attack on Gaza and Israel’s announcement of a complete siege on Gaza involving the withholding of water, food, electricity and fuel which will undoubtfully cost civilian lives and constitutes collective punishment,” it continued.
The Hamas attack on Israel came on the day of the Simchat Torah in the United States, a celebration of the beginning of a new annual cycle of Torah readings. The U.S. Department of State has labeled Hamas as a terrorist organization. Since 2007, the group has governed the Gaza Strip, CNBC reports.
“Since early Saturday morning, we have witnessed the most horrific terrorist attacks in Israel’s history,” the Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee said in a Facebook post. “In heartbreaking times like these, we must come together and send a clear message against these crimes against humanity.”
The federation is holding a solidarity gathering on Monday at 5:30 p.m. at the Sarasota Municipal Auditorium, 801 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota.
“We’re looking at probably filling the entire auditorium,” said the federation’s marketing director, Ellen Biddle. “The response has been really heartening.”
Bradenton’s Jewish community calls for kindness
During Saturday services at Chabad of Bradenton & Lakewood Ranch, Rabbi Mendy Bukiet talked to his congregation about the attacks, coming 50 years after the Yom Kippur War of 1973.
“We spoke about whatever we can do to bring light to the world, to add positivity and goodness to the world to counter evil and barbarity,” Bukiet said. “It’s hard to imagine this type of behavior from human beings.”
Starting 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, the Chabad will be having half-hour sessions on Torah, prayer and charity.
“Hopefully, we can rock the heavens,” Bukiet said.
“This is not a Jewish thing — it’s a world thing when we allow antisemitism and hate to fester and to have people spew hate. There is right and wrong and good and evil. We have to respond with positivity and good.”
Rabbi Zev Steinmetz of the Chabad of West Bradenton offered a similar response.
“Obviously the updates from Israel are deeply distressing. Our message to the local Jewish community is to focus on adding in more goodness and kindness,” he said in an email.
“We have joined Jews around the world with a mitzvah (good deed) campaign at OneMitzvah.org/israel to pledge 1 million new good deeds to strengthen our brothers and sisters in the Holy Land,” Steinmetz said.
Temple Beth El Bradenton/Lakewood Ranch, posted on its Facebook page its support for Israel and announced that it was offering situational awareness training Tuesday evening.
Temple Beth El was also hiring private security and had launched a donation campaign to provide Israel with funds for medical supplies and services.
The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office said extra patrols are being provided at area synagogues this week, especially during worship times.
“At this point, we have no information to believe these places are unsafe,” sheriff’s office spokesman Randy Warren said.
He said intelligence detectives are also “monitoring the situation statewide.”
Local scholar: Middle East history offers hope
“History gives us a hopeful message,” said Liat Alon, the federation’s Chief Learning and Engagement Officer and a scholar of Middle Eastern history.
“For centuries, Jews and Muslims lived together in conviviality. They shared customs and traditions, and there’s no reason for us not to be able to do that again. But it can’t happen like this.”
Alon will speak at Monday night’s event, where she said the message will be clear:
“We stand united as humans in the face of barbarism,” Alon said.
Alon said most of her family members are in Israel, where the horrors of the weekend’s attacks and plunging into war are still unfolding.
“I think it’s important to bring the Jewish community together because we want to draw strength from one another in light of these atrocious attacks,” Alon said. “At the same time, I think it’s critical to bring the general community together because it affects everybody. This is not something any human being can tolerate.”
This story was originally published October 9, 2023 at 1:59 PM.
