Columbia rabbi: Attack is 'Deadliest 48 hours for the Jewish People since the Holocaust'

The Hamas attacks on Israel turned a joyous time for Jews into sadness, wrote the new rabbi for Columbia's congregation Beth Shalom in an official statement.

Rabbi Matt Derrenbacher and the congregation's board issued the statement on Sunday.

"On the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, on a day when Jews around the world woke expecting to honor Shabbat and bathe in the joy of our most sacred text, we witnessed the horrors of death, destruction, kidnapping and war," the statement reads.

The attack had killed more than 700 Israelis and affected thousands more Jews, Christians, Muslims, Israeli nationals, expatriates and tourists, the statement reads.

"The last 48 hours have been the deadliest 48 hours for the Jewish People since the Holocaust," the statement reads.

The situation goes beyond the politics of the Israel-Palestine conflict, according to the statement.

"Regardless of one’s politics, of relationship to the State of Israel, to the government of Israel, or the Land itself, these actions are never acceptable and the CoMo Jewish Community unequivocally stands with Israel."

Speaking by phone, Derrenbacher, who started as the congregation's full-time rabbi in June, said Jews value protection of life and the attacks are unacceptable no matter one's politics.

The daughter and son-in-law of a founding member of the congregation were among those killed, he said. The founding member is no longer in Columbia.

Derrenbacher spent a year living in Israel and he said it had been a difficult task checking in with people there.

A vigil is planned later this week, though details had not been finalized on Monday.

There have been no recent threats against the local temple, Derrenbacher said.

The congregation will hold a special Israel- and peace-focused Shabbat on Friday and Saturday.

"Yesterday, Jews marked the completion of the annual Torah reading cycle," the Sunday statement reads. "It is a time filled with joy and anticipation, and yet we also sit with our broken glass moment, recognizing the incredible pain and destruction of the events unfolding in Israel and their effect on the Jews here in mid-Missouri and around the globe."

The statement is signed B’Shalom (In Peace).

Roger McKinney is the Tribune's education reporter. You can reach him at rmckinney@colulumbiatribune.com or 573-815-1719. He's on X at @rmckinney9.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Vigil, shabbat services focusing on Israel, peace are planned