CREVE COEUR, Mo.—Calling support for Israel “a St. Louis tradition,” The Jewish Federation of St. Louis hosted an Israel solidarity gathering Wednesday night to pray for victims of those killed, injured and taken hostage in the weekend Hamas terror attacks.
An estimated crowd of 1,700 gathered at the Jewish Community Center in Creve Coeur and heard from Israelis living in St. Louis and by recorded videos, St. Louisans either living in or currently visiting Israel.
“Israel is our refuge, it is our heartbeat as one people. We unequivocally support the land of our ancestors and assert that an attack on the state of Israel is an attack on all Jewish people,” said Brian Herstig, President and CEO of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis. “It is an attack on our hearts and our souls. We are fully committed to Israel’s right to exist as a sovereign nation of the Jewish people and defend her people and her borders against any that dare breach it. This we declare together here tonight and forever.”
“Until tonight, I felt hopeless. But being here with you, in this room surrounded by my community, the strong amazing and resilient St. Louis Jewish community, I know that I’m not. We’ve gathered here because we care, because we love our Israeli brothers and sisters because we love Israel, because Israel is our home and we need Israel. And now, more then ever, Israel needs us,” said Abby Goldstein, in announcing that several area families had agreed to a $650,000 match for donations made to an emergency fund to help those affected by the attacks.
In leading a prayer for members of the Israeli Defense Force, one speaker said a St. Louis man was among those who responded to a call for reserve forces to stand up.
The event unfolded without incident, but took place with several layers of both private security and help from several area law enforcement agencies.
A representative from the FBI was handing out a hate crime threat guide to help victims document and report those threats to authorities.
A spokesperson said there has not been an uptick in reports of hate crimes in the wake of the attacks in Israel and the ensuing war and that the agency has no “specific and credible intelligence” showing a threat to St. Louis.
Returning from the region
Travelers who found themselves stuck either in Israel or elsewhere in the Middle East because of reduced flight availability out of the region are continuing to make their way home to St. Louis.
Among them was Rabbi Shmuel Greenwald, who was in Jerusalem with his wife Chana visiting their children, left Tel Aviv Tuesday and arrived back in the St. Louis area Wednesday. All members of a St. Charles County church delegation that had been touring holy sites in Israel are due back to St. Louis by Saturday. Some in the travel party for Morning Star Church in Dardenne Prairie have already returned to the U.S., while others are now in Turkey or Jordan.
On Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley called on the federal government to get involved to help Americans get out of Israel.
“New clarity about travel assistance is urgently required,” Hawley wrote in a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken. ”I urge you to work with your counterparts across federal agencies to bring to bear all available resources and authorities, including charter flights, to assist Americans that remain in Israel with returning home to their families."