Day: October 7, 2024

Commemorations and protests unfolded across the world on Monday to mark the anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, an assault that sparked a war that has devastated the Hamas-ruled Gaza strip, fueled hostilities and bloodshed in other Mideast lands and ignited protests and divisions in farflung countries. Hamas militants’ surprise cross-border attack […]

The post Vigils, protests around the world commemorate the anniversary of Hamas attack on Israel appeared first on Brooklyn Eagle.

The elder Eilish is headlining at Brooklyn’s Paramount on Feb. 22.

The FIRST CHABAD HOUSE AND SHUL in Bergen Beach has officially opened in a modest yet impactful ceremony in the area.

The post ACME Smoked Fish, Brooklyn Brewery will expand their iconic presence to 1 Wythe Ave. appeared first on Brooklyn Eagle.

On the eve of the first anniversary of the Hamas terror attack in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, Jewish Brooklynites gathered at Holocaust Memorial Park in Sheepshead Bay for a “Run for Their Lives” walk and a vigil in remembrance of the victims of the attack and a renewed call for the release of the remaining hostages. 

The Oct. 7, 2023 terror attack was the worst act of murder against the Jewish people since the Holocaust. During the attack, 1,200 people were killed, and 251 Israelis and foreigners were kidnapped by the terror organization Hamas. While over 100 hostages have been released, 97 hostages still remain in captivity. At the end of August, Israel’s military recovered the bodies of six hostages killed by Hamas terrorists, including 23-year-old Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who was kidnapped at the Nova music festival on Oct. 7. 

Run for Their Lives was founded in the San Fransisco Bay Area shortly after the attacks. The grassroots organization, which has chapters worldwide, holds weekly walk and run events, demanding the immediate release of the hostages.  

Ariel Noyman founded the Sheepshead Bay R4TL chapter in January because it became too difficult for the busy mom of two to attend pro-Israel rallies in Manhattan. 

“I went on the R4TL’s website [and] there was an option to start your own group,”Noyman told Brooklyn Paper. “So I said to myself, ‘How hard could this be?’”

Her initiative was well received by the large Jewish population in Sheepshead Bay. 

“I think to them, it’s very inspiring. And I think it gives them, most importantly, a place to go, where they feel welcome, where they feel like they belong,” Noyman said. 

The weekly events also give the participants a sense of security, given the rise of anti-semitic attacks, Noyman explained. 

“I think to have a place for people to go, where they feel safe and welcome and [where] they can peacefully express themselves is very important,” Noyman said.

On Sunday, about 40 participants of all ages, carrying banners, Israeli flags, and boards with the images of the hostage, joined the walk. 

One of the walkers, Penny Berman, was the first person to sign up with the R4TL Sheepshead Bay in January. Berman told Brooklyn Paper she joined because it was important for the Jewish community to stand up. 

“We need to get our hostages back,” Berman said. “We need to end this war, and very important, we really, really, really need to fight this antisemitism.”

Berman appreciated the community-building aspect of the weekly walks. 

“It’s what the world needs, regardless of whether it’s about this or other causes,” Berman said. “We need to stand up. We can’t sit back anymore. The world is just too crazy.”

A few hundred attended the subsequent vigil organized by Assembly Member Michael Novakhov (R-Brooklyn) and state Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton (D-Brooklyn), in partnership with Temple Beth El, the Association of East-European Jewry, the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce, Kehilat Moshe, Run for Their Lives, the American Forum for Israel, the American Russian-Speaking Jews Alliance, and Unapologetically Zionist. 

A slew of speakers reiterated the importance of standing together in the face of terrorism and antisemitism, vowing to continue their demands to release the hostages. 

Scarcella-Spanton promised the state legislature would continue to support the Jewish community in light of the rise in antisemitism.

“Locally, we have secured funding for the Secure Communities against Hate Crimes grant program, as we have seen an unacceptable rise in antisemitism and bigotry,” Scarcella Spanton shared.

Novakhov called the Oct. 7 terror attack an assault on all who stand for freedom, peace, and the sanctity of human life. 

“The events of that day have only straightened my commitment to stand with Israel and fight against terrorism in all its forms,”  Novakhov vowed. 

“Bring them home now”  — a rallying cry for the release of the Hamas hostages  — was not just a slogan, but “ … a demand, a demand for humanity, a demand for justice, and a demand for the world to stand up against the evil that took them,” Novakhov told the crowd.

His speech was followed by the rendition of the Israeli anthem, performed by Avi Benshimol and William Balelo, who played a harp he said was made of a Hamas rocket. 

Former Council Member Ari Kagan told the attendees, many waving Israeli flags, that Jews were no longer silent in the face of the rise in antisemitism. 

According to data by the Anti-Defamation League, in the U.S., antisemitic incidents in the three months after the Oct. 7 massacre rose by 361% compared to the same period in 2022. In New York, reports of antisemitic incidents were 508% higher in the fourth quarter of 2023 than during the same period in 2022, the ADL reported.

Kagan, the son of Holocaust survivors, shared that the Nazis killed his paternal grandmother in 1942. 

“And now here in New York, in America, in 2024, someone wants to continue what Hitler did not finish in [the] Holocaust,” said Kagan, referring to an incident on the subway on June 10, when masked anti-Israel protestors told ‘Zionists’ to raise their hands, telling them that “this was their chance to get out.”

Holocaust survivor, educator, and motivational speaker Sami Steigman served in the Israeli Air Force. He said his mission in life was to “educate the next generation.” 

“Not only to learn the lessons from the Holocaust, not only to be knowledgeable but to become active,” Steigman said.

Steigman recalled that he went through a “gamut” of emotions when he learned about the terror attacks a year ago. 

“Whether you know it or not, in every generation, they tried to destroy [the Jews]. We prevailed,” Steigman said. “At the same time today, not only will we prevail, we will win. And for the world, I have a message: we are here to stay, whether you like it or not.”

Department of Investigation probing NYC migrant services debit card contract  New York Daily News