War in Israel affects thousands in our area as Jewish communities rush in to help
NEW YORK - New York City is home to the largest Jewish population of any city in the world, according to the Mayor's Office, and nearly half of the city's Jews live in Brooklyn.
The ongoing war in Israel, started by a terrorist attack from Hamas on a Jewish holiday on Saturday that experts say marks the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust, has prompted thousands of people in the borough to jump to action.
Finding a purpose through the pain can often be hard, but for Brooklyn father and Israel Defense Forces veteran Ariel Glazer, it's second nature. When he heard that his army reserves unit needed specialty backpacks, he launched a fundraising campaign. Within hours, the backpacks were ordered and arrived in Israel on Tuesday.
"For me, backpacks have always been one of the most important pieces of equipment because sometimes you can be walking for hours, days with, you know, 50, 70, sometimes 100 pounds on your back," Glazer says.
He is one of countless local Jews who are trying to do anything they can to help.
"What are the differences between the Nazis and Hamas? The Nazis, when they were murdering Jews, were actually hiding it. They didn't want people to know. This organization, they were proud of the murder of children," says Dov Hikind, founder of Americans Against Antisemitism.
Channelling anger to action, former Democratic New York State Assemblymember Hikind boarded a plane bound for Tel Aviv Tuesday.
"I've been there a hundred times, but this one is probably the most important moment to actually be there," he says.
Other Jewish organizations have also remained there despite the danger, including Eric Goldstein, Chief Executive Officer of UJA Federation New York.
"I met with the president of Israel and his wife to talk about the importance of the New York Jewish community, but all communities to support the needs of this country," Goldstein told CBS New York's Hannah Kliger on Tuesday.
The philanthropic organization already allocated $10 million in emergency funding and has since collected $20 million more.
Brooklyn's Borough Park is also the headquarters of Chevra Hatzalah, the largest nonprofit ambulance service in the country.
CEO Rabbi Yehiel Kalish says his wife, daughter and newborn grandson are all in Jerusalem. So are more than 100 of the organization's ambulance volunteers.
"The nature of the Hatzolah member is to save a life ... If we tried to get on the phone and ask them to come home, they would hang up on us," Kalish says.
Most of these volunteers were there on vacation to celebrate a Jewish holiday. Overnight, they had to switch to emergency mode, responding to mass casualties. Kalish says this is exactly what they're trained for.
While Israeli paramedics work near danger zones, these volunteers are backfilling for regular medical emergencies, and the Brooklyn-based organization works locally to dispatch supplies.
"They're very determined right now and focused. When things calm down, you know, it's going to hit," he says.
This comes as thousands of local congregations join in prayer daily.
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