'This is the time': Palm Beach rabbis heading to Israel to lend support after Hamas attacks
Four rabbis from Palm Beach Synagogue will travel to Israel Sunday to support those affected by the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks.
During their five-day stay in Jerusalem, rabbis Moshe Scheiner, Yosef Rice, Shneor Minsky and Leibel Shmotkin plan to provide financial support to families and businesses, visit a hostage center, hand out toys to displaced children, and host a barbecue for Israeli soldiers.
They also will distribute cards and notes written by members of the community to Israeli soldiers on the frontline with Gaza — where the attacks occurred — and on the northern border of Lebanon.
Many of those notes were written during a 'We Stand With Israel' event held Oct. 10 at Palm Beach Synagogue. The event drew 500 people, including Mayor Danielle Moore, Palm Beach County Mayor Gregg Weiss, and Town Council President Margaret Zeidman, who also is vice chair of Palm Beach Fellowship of Christians and Jews.
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"In times of crises, when we face challenges as a Jewish nation, our most potent strength is our unity and love for one another," Scheiner told the Daily News. "We have seen such an incredible outpouring of support and generosity from Jews and non-Jews throughout our community.
"We want to personally deliver those messages of strength and solidarity from Palm Beach to the bereaved and victimized families in Israel. We also want to support our brave soldiers by expressing our friendship and appreciation to them."
The attacks on civilians and soldiers left at least 1,400 people dead in Israel, with another 222 being taken hostage, according to reports. Two of the hostages were released Friday, and two more were let go Monday.
Israel responded immediately to the attacks, launching retaliatory airstrikes on Gaza, where so far more than 6,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry.
Israel has ordered more than 1 million Palestinians to evacuate northern Gaza ahead of an impending ground invasion, though the United States has urged a delay in those plans to encourage hostage negotiations, improve the flow of humanitarian aid and to allow the U.S. to prepare for attacks on "U.S. interests" in the region, according to multiple media reports.
Scheiner, whose 22-year-old son, Uziel, was in Jerusalem during the attacks, said he has few concerns about visiting Israel in the midst of escalating hostilities, as his focus is helping others who have been affected by the violence.
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"I think when your family is hurting, when they need you most, that's when you go home," he said. "You don't go when it's convenient. When your family is in pain, that's when you go home and show support. We think this is the time that we need to show up and personally deliver our heartfelt empathy and blessings to our brothers and sisters in Israel."
Palm Beach Synagogue, at 120 N. County Road, will accept cards, donations, and gifts for teens and children to distribute in Israel. Items can be dropped off at the synagogue office until 6 p.m. Saturday.
For information or to donate, visit palmbeachsynagogue.org.
Jodie Wagner is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at jwagner@pbdailynews.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Four Palm Beach rabbis heading to Israel to lend support after Hamas attacks
