PHILADELPHIA, Pa.—Thousands attended a “March for Israel” rally on Monday that promoted a message of peace and prayer.
The event began with a solidarity march at City Hall for the victims of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks and ended with a rally that featured songs, messages, and prayers of unity at the Independence National Historical Park.
The day was organized by the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, with many of those attending having family and friends in Israel.
Michael Markman, board chair of the organizing federation, told The Epoch Times that 5,000 people attended the event. He described why the rally was held.
“We had too many of our Jewish brothers and sisters murdered last Saturday in Israel. And we’re collectively hurting as a people,” Mr. Markman said.
“By coming together, I think we all work to alleviate that. And we also feel helpless and coming together, we help each other, and we can help the people of Israel,” he said.
“The brutality that occurred we haven’t seen since the Holocaust. They didn’t just attack soldiers; they attacked babies and mothers and women and grandmothers, and as a community, we just have a collective sadness.
“Hamas is a terrorist organization that kills people; they kill our people, and they kill their people. And we need to make sure that they are not able to do that.
“So really just support Israel so they can get rid of this horrible regime and then afterward support them to bring everyone together and create peace in Israel,” he said.
Monday was the 10th day since Hamas terrorists attacked southern Israel, killing more than 1,400 people, the vast majority civilians.
Over 4,100 people have now been killed in what has become known as the Islrael-Hamas war, with Israel’s military bombarding the Gaza Strip as it prepares to go on the offensive against Hamas.
Daughter of Holocaust Survivors
Rene Rubin, a doctor from New York, said she attended the rally to “stand in solidarity for my people that have been murdered.”Ms. Rubin, who is the daughter of Holocaust survivors, said she has lots of family and friends who live in Israel.
“I haven’t been able to eat in a week,” she said.
She has been getting text messages from many of her childhood friends in Israel about the awful events.
“They’re terrified. Their kids can’t sleep, and they can’t work. They have relatives that have been murdered, their friends and family who are hostages,” Ms. Rubin said.
“And unfortunately, it’s not like being a hostage in a civilized country. These hostages are being raped, beaten, and eviscerated. It’s not like being a normal prisoner. They’re probably better off dead than staying alive, which is a very sad commentary.”
“It’s an atrocity that is not to be believed,” she said.
Ms. Rubin reflected on the experiences of her parents during World War II.
“I just remember the words of my mother who said, ‘They came into her village [in Poland], put everybody in the synagogue, and lit it on fire’.”
“If we don’t learn from history, it repeats itself,” Ms. Rubin said.
‘Evil Needs to be Clearly Identified’
Sonia, who asked not to have her surname published, lives in Philadelphia. She thinks people need to awaken and speak out against evil.“Israel is extremely important. And I’m standing up for Israel’s right to exist and to be safe,” said Sonia who is an artist.
Sonia said people in Israel are “terrified and also girding themselves to fight the fight. They need to fight because they are existentially threatened.”
“Hamas, in its charter, says it exists to annihilate the Jewish people. And you can’t be paralyzed by fear. When people want to kill you just for being who you are.”
Sonia emphasized: “Evil needs to be clearly identified.”
“We need to continue to support Israel with the money and military support that it needs in order to fight this fight against evil.”
Sonia brought a toy shofar to the rally. “Because the shofar is an ancient symbol of wakening up the soul, wakening up the people. It’s a call to action.”
‘Spread the Truth’
Some attendees emphasized the need to spread the truth about the Israel-Hamas situation.“It’s very hard for me to see what my people are experiencing,” Sapir Izrailov who immigrated from Israel with her family in 2015, is a payroll specialist. “So however I can support them, I will,” she said.
Ms. Izrailov said more people need to “spread the truth.”
Appreciation for US Support
Some attendees were grateful for America’s support of Israel over the conflict. Bernie Dishler, a retired dentist, was one of them.“We want to just express our sorrow that so many people were killed in this attack,“ he said. ”We appreciate the United States stepping up and standing with Israel. And that’s just to let people know that we care.”
Mr. Dishler said he has a lot of friends in Israel and he sent a picture of the rally’s crowd to one of his friends there.
“They gained enthusiasm from seeing the support that we have for them,” he said.
The friend, who is in Jerusalem, has two grandchildren who are in the army and have been mobilized. Mr. Dishler said she worries about them and their safety.
Student: Donate and Spread the Word
Two high school students at the rally—Talia Hurtig and Markus Kanter— were in Israel on an education program during the Hamas attack and only recently returned to America. They offered some advice on how people can help to help those affected in Israel.“I think they can just donate to organizations to help fund hostages, and people who live down south who have no home because they got bombed,” Ms. Hurtig said.
She asked people in America to pray for those affected by the conflict.
“I think they just have to pray for us, for everyone’s family, for friends, who are going through this hard time. We’re the victims of this situation,” she said.
Ms. Hurtig said her experience in Israel was “really scary”.
“Because we went to bed like it was a normal night. And we woke up to sirens, and almost everyone ran down to the shelter in their pajamas, some without socks, some without shoes,” she said.
“And it was also scary for me because almost all my family lives down south, which was where everything was happening. I didn’t have too much information about it because it was like an hour after it happened. And so it was really nerve-racking for me.”
Ms. Hurtig’s mom is still in Israel.
“When there are sirens, they run to the bomb shelter, which is in their house, thank God because every house in the south has to have a room like a bomb room, in their house for safety. And so when they hear a siren, they run to the bomb shelter, and they’re okay.”
Ms. Hurtig said she is praying for everyone, not just for her family.
‘I’ll Never Forget’
One of the rally speakers, Jacob Weiner, 16, was evacuated from Alexander Muss High School in central Israel and just returned from Israel last Thursday. He was on a three-month study abroad program.He was moved by people in Israel, “they came together like no one else can, and the unity and everyone supporting each other.”
“I’m thankful I got out ... It’s something I'll never forget for the rest of my life.”
Mr. Weiner expressed his thankfulness to “the State Department and everyone who helped us get out”.
“America since day one has been Israel’s strongest ally from recognizing them ... they provide support for Israel, militarily, economically, and just the American people always have just been wonderful and getting the message out, condemning the evil of Hamas and making sure that Israel has everything that she needs to defend herself and to eradicate these [evil] from the earth.”
