GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Dozens of people solemnly gathered at Temple Emanuel in Grand Rapids on Sunday, to remember the hundreds of Israeli lives lost over the weekend.
“It is the worst of the worst and it's evil,” said Michael Schadick, the rabbi at Temple Emanuel. “There is no other description for it.”
On Saturday, Hamas, an Islamic militant group, launched a surprise attack on Israel. They fired rockets and sent fighters from the Gaza Strip into the country.
READ MORE: Israel officially declares war on Hamas after surprise attack from Gaza
Israeli officials have since declared war.
The toll passed 1,100 dead and thousands wounded on both sides.
Schadick described the attack as some of the darkest days in Jewish history since the end of the Holocaust. He says many members of his congregation are worried about their loved ones in Israel.
“The grandson of a Holocaust survivor, who I had as a teacher, was murdered yesterday,” said Schadick. “It is painful.”
Michael Harris’ wife recently went to the country to take care of her mother. She called to tell him about the invasion. Their families live about 20 miles from Gaza.
“They are relatively safe,” said Harris, who lives in West Michigan. “They do sleep in shelters every night. Rockets come in all the time. There's bigger concern now when terrorists moving around… but it's a part of life. Is it a vacation area? No. Is there terrible anxiety? No.”
Harris also served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for 15 years and holds a doctorate in public policy. He calls Hamas’ takeover of southern Israel as a “big failure,” but expects IDF to strongly strike back on the group.
“I believe Israel needs to hurt and hit Gaza so strongly, that the Hamas will never, ever be a force at all,” said Harris.
Schadick agrees. He does not want a war to last forever, but hopes West Michigan supports the Jewish community as Israel tries to defend itself.
“We know how blessed we are to have Israel as a nation state for Jews to go to, but when this happens in the only Jewish nation in the world, it's very disconcerting and it's very, very hard for us to wrap our, our hearts and minds around that in 2023, this kind of thing can still be happening,” said Schadick.
