LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — The tidal wave of information and pictures of war in Israel have shocked Jews living in Kentucky.
On Saturday, the Hamas militant group invaded parts of Israel. More than 200 have died in both Israel and Gaza. Gaza has taken an untold number of Israeli civilians and soldiers hostage.
The morning service at Lexington’s Adath Israel began with more than just the typical prayer.
“So I'm going to ask the congregation to please rise and to join me in a moment of silence as we pray for peace and pray that leaders on all sides of this conflict put hostility and retaliation aside and make the difficult decisions necessary for all peoples in this conflict to bring it to a speedy resolution," said the congregation’s Rabbi David Wirtschafter. "May the one who brings peace to the heavens above bring peace to those who desperately need it here on earth, especially in the middle east."
Alex Bellocq, who moved to Lexington after living in Israel for about a year and a half, said the conflict has left him very worried.
“It’s quite unsettling to see people marching in civilian streets, civilian cities, draped in black with guns,” Bellocq said.
He’s spoken with friends there, some of which are sheltering in place.
“On a personal level I’m relieved none of them are hurt, wounded or taken,” he said.
Israel is the jewish homeland. For a people who have been repeatedly persecuted throughout history, it’s a place they are supposed to feel safe.
“On a day I want to be celebrating, I want to be rooting for a huge UK win, instead I'm incredibly saddened, struggling on just getting through this day,” said Aaron Rothke, the vice-chair of the Kentucky Jewish Council. “It’s incredibly sad, it’s just the loss of life for no reason whatsoever.”
The scale of terror and depravity is something we have not seen before, said State Representative Daniel Grossberg, Kentucky’s only state representative who is Jewish.
Grossberg is also the chair of the Kentucky Israel Caucus.
“This morning the nation of Israel finds itself at war with terrorists,” a statement from the caucus read. “Its people have every right to defend themselves against this act of aggression and invasion that combines war with face-to-face deadly terrorism against families and children sheltering in their homes.”
“I'm feeling a lot of shock,outrage, sorrow, angst,” Grossberg said. “My emotions are frankly confusing.”
Part of that is because Grossberg has opposed current Israeli leadership, questioning if they were actively pursuing peace. The war has shattered his hope for a Palestinian state in Gaza.
“What Hamas has done is they have strengthened and reinforced the right-wing coalition government of Israel and they have legitimized a government that many American Jews like like myself have opposed because they didn't seem like they were actively pursuing peace and now they have an opportunity to say ‘look, we were right, this is why we should not have pursued peace.”
He hopes he is wrong.
“The thing that scares me the most about this war is I don't see an endgame where anyone wins,” Grossberg said. “It's no secret that I'm an opponent of the Netanyahu administration, but if there's any one thing that unites the Jewish people globally it's when we are attacked by someone who is committed to our annihilation and Hamas have never held back from that being their intention.”
The Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass released a statement sending their condolences to families directly impacted.
“The Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass stands firmly alongside the Jewish Federations of North America and all our Jewish partners, extending our solidarity and wholehearted support with Israel,” the statement read.
Governor Andy Beshear, Senator Mitch McConnell, and Representative Andy Beshear have all shared messages in support of Israel.
