Boulder, Colorado attack will not deter NYC-area families from attending hostage rallies, loved ones say
The alleged antisemitic attack in Boulder, Colorado over the weekend happened as Jews in New York City are observing the joyous holiday of Shavuot.
Before that holiday began Sunday, there were several similar rallies across the Tri-State Area. CBS News New York's Lisa Rozner spoke with Moshe Lavi, the brother-in-law of Omri Miran, a 48-year-old husband and father of two little girls, who was kidnapped from his home on Oct. 7, 2023.
Lavi said Monday hostage families are standing with the victims of Boulder, but added there is not even time to grieve because their advocacy must go on.
Miran and others have been held by Hamas for 605 days
Lavi, along with the cousin of 24-year-old hostage Alon Ohel, rallied in Central Park on Sunday. Their peaceful call to bring home the remaining 58 hostages in Gaza happened hours before a similar rally in Boulder was met with firebombs.
"It was heartbreaking. Those people are standing with us, the families, since Oct. 7, every Sunday," Lavi said. "The eldest [victim], I believe, is a Holocaust survivor, according to the reports. I talked to families in Israel over the past few hours and asked them, please use your Instagram pages for the hostages to amplify this, to send love and support to the Boulder community."
Lavi said it marked 605 days for the 20 hostages believed to be alive in captivity, including Miran, whose daughters, ages 2 and 4, ask for him daily. During this agonizing period, Lavi says worldwide gatherings like the "Run for Their Lives" in Colorado have given his family strength.
"Sadly, we don't have time even to process these things because we immediately have to go back to the business on the table, which is what can we do today to raise awareness to bring Omri home," Lavi said.
"I fear for the Jewish community in this country"
Back in April, Hamas released a second propaganda video of Miran.
"He did not look well, but I, we, focus on the fact he's alive," Lavi said.
Lavi said the United States has a pivotal role in negotiations to end the war in Gaza.
"In our rallies, we are voicing what should be the call of every human being on this planet, that hostage taking is unjust," Lavi said. "[They] targeted people who call for a resolution, who call for a solution to this ongoing crisis and war. At the moment, I fear for the Jewish community in this country and many other Western countries. We are under threat by hateful people."
Lavi said he will not let a hateful movement silence him or deter him from attending this Sunday's rally, but he also pointed out that what happened in Boulder underscores that hate speech can translate to physical violence.
"It's frustration, it's anger, and it's fear"
Jason Shames, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey, said he thinks the Boulder attack has made for a very uncomfortable Shavuot for many.
"It's frustration, it's anger, and it's fear. It's those basic three things that are going on right now," Shames said. "I think it had an effect without me scientifically polling, about people going to synagogue or participating in Jewish activities again over the next couple of days and beyond"
"We want to be able to celebrate like any other race or religion or creed is entitled to celebrate in this country," Shames added.
As many take time to celebrate the holiday, many are also second guessing doing it publicly, and in response, security around synagogues and Jewish gatherings in the area has been beefed up. The NYPD, for example, is deploying high-visibility patrols and heavy weapons teams.
"We need to make sure that the community is safe. We need the help of law enforcement and the government to help ensure the safety of everyone, and at this moment, in particular, the Jewish community," said Shira Hutt, the executive vice president of Jewish Federations of North America.
While the protection is appreciated, some say it doesn't solve the problem at its core.
"It doesn't really address the risk to the Jewish community. What we are seeing is attacks outside of Jewish organizations. We're seeing attacks of people on city streets, and that can't be addressed by just beefing security," said Gerard Filitti, senior counsel at The Lawfare Project.
Be proud to be Jewish, rapper Kosha Dillz says
Rami Even-Esh of Bushwick, Brooklyn, also known as the rapper Kosha Dillz, proudly wore his Jewish faith on Monday after hearing from his friends who were supposed to be at the Boulder rally.
"The response I got from my followers that message me is, 'I never thought this would happen to us,'" Even-Esh said. "It makes me actually want to be more open and proud."
From Great Neck to Central Park, peaceful gatherings calling for the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas were held Sunday, around the same time as the Boulder attack.
"We are still in mourning. Two weeks ago, our worst fears were realized when this type of violence touched our community," said Josh Kramer, director of the American Jewish Committee New York.
It was after one of the AJC's events in Washington D.C. that 26-year-old Sarah Milgrim and 30-year-old Yaron Lischinsky were allegedly gunned down by a man who yelled "Free Palestine." In Boulder on Sunday, the suspect shouted that same phrase as he set people on fire.
"Language that has been used to cast Israel, Zionists and more broadly Jews around the world as legitimate targets in these kinds of attacks has lead us to this point," Kramer said.
"What people don't know, there are Muslim hostages. There are Black hostages," Even-Esh added.
Boulder Jewish Festival is this Sunday
Even-Esh is running for Holocaust survivors in the New York City Marathon, and just ran the Boston Marathon for victims of terror.
"There's no other group that's like, we need armed security while we're running in a park," Even-Esh said. "They want us to hide our Jewishness, like taking off yarmulke and tucking in chain, not having Israeli flag, based on actions 6,000 miles away. You're a runner and part of a running group. You're running group should definitely say something, whether you're Jewish or not."
He said his friends in Boulder have told him they'll show up next Sunday for the scheduled Boulder Jewish Festival.
"The main thing is next week they're going to be back better than ever," Even-Esh said.
