More than 100 grief-stricken families of Israeli hostages arrived in the Big Apple Monday night to pray for the safe return of their loved ones at the resting place of one of the most influential modern rabbis.
Relatives of about 200 people kidnapped from Israel and imprisoned in Gaza by Hamas flew from the Jewish state to Queens to gather at the Ohel where revered Jewish leader Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson is buried.
About 300 Israelis, including family members, religious leaders and others who support the family, gathered at the monumental tomb to find hope and comfort as they deal with the “nightmare” that continues every day their loved ones are gone.
Hanan Salfati said he, his wife and two daughters are praying for the release of their 27-year-old son and brother, Ofir, who was at the Tribe of Nova music festival with his girlfriend when Hamas terrorists launched their deadly attack on Oct. 7.
Family members leave written prayers for their missing loved ones. Kevin C. Downs for the NY Post
When Hamas terrorists arrested the young woman, Ofir took his girlfriend and seven friends to an evacuation zone where a transport van was waiting, but he was unable to get into the vehicle with them, Salfati said.
“That’s why we know he will survive. He is strong,” said Salfati, referring to his son’s heroism.
The young man tried to escape in a car, but Hamas opened fire on the vehicle on the highway, killing the driver and another passenger.
Relatives of the hostages’ families left Israel to come to Queens, NY to the resting place, known as Ohel, the most influential Rabbi in modern Rebbe history. Kevin C. Downs for the NY Post
“We thought we didn’t wake up that day,” his father said when he heard the news of the attack. “We felt like a nightmare, and we’re still living that nightmare. Everything has changed. We don’t sleep. We don’t eat well. Everything has changed.”
Salfati and hundreds of others sat shoulder-to-shoulder in folding chairs plastered with images of their missing loved ones on hostage posters, while more people stood shoulder-to-shoulder around the edge of a large tent set up for the event.
They were joined by rabbis and supporters from across the tri-state area.
Family members wait outside to enter the Rebbe’s tomb. Kevin C. Downs for the NY Post
Schneerson’s resting place is considered a place of deep spiritual sanctity visited by hundreds of thousands of Jews throughout the year.
The rabbi – credited with creating a global Jewish revival after the Holocaust – was so effective that he often met with world leaders and was known to many simply as “The Rebbe.”
Hostage family members, such as Shai Hartman, wrote prayers on paper to take to the Rebbe’s tomb.
About 300 Israelis gathered at the monumental tomb to find hope and comfort as they face the “nightmare” that continues every day their loved ones are gone. Kevin C. Downs for the NY Post
Hartman, 28, told The Post that he had seven family members kidnapped by Hamas when terrorists ambushed a family gathering last month. Among his relatives are his uncle, his wife and two children, he said.
Several family members were killed, he added.
“It is not one life. We are just waiting for them to come back. We can’t do anything until they get well,” he said. “We don’t want the world to forget that there are 250 hostages held by Hamas.”
Despite the horror of the past month, Hartman said she is still “100% sure” she will be able to hug her missing family again.
“They are women, children. How can anyone kill them? I believe they will return,” he said. “There is no other choice.”
Ilan Danaely, a high school administrator from Hebron, came to the US with his wife to pray for the return of their 23-year-old nephew, Etan Mor.
The trip was organized for hundreds of Israelis, as it was the first time in the US for several families. Kevin C. Downs for the NY Post
The outpouring of support in New York made the couple feel like they weren’t alone, Danaely said.
“We are a big family,” he said, adding that he appreciates the support President Biden has shown for Israel and hopes it continues.
“We don’t just want to [our nephew] to come back,” Danaely told The Post. “We want all Hamas to leave here, all those demons. We want to stop them all over the world. It’s not just about [Israel]. This is about everyone in the world.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
