Valentina LaFranca- THE ONGOING WAR BETWEEN ISRAEL AND PALESTINIAN MILITANT GROUPS, LED BY HAMAS, BEGAN ON OCTOBER 7TH WHEN MILITANTS INVADED ISRAEL FROM THE GAZA STRIP.
AS FAR AS IT IS FROM SYRACUSE, THERE ARE PEOPLE HERE WHO FEEL THE TENSION AND PAIN FROM THEIR COMMUNITY.
RABBI SHORE OF A LOCAL SYNAGOGUE SAYS HE HAS NO CONCERNS FOR THE JEWISH PEOPLE IN THE CITY, THANKS TO THE “SUPERIOR POLICE FORCE” HERE.
BUT HE DOES WORRY ABOUT HIS FAMILY BACK HOME.
RABBI SHORE HAS A SON, DAUGHTER IN-LAW AND SIX GRANDCHILDREN IN ISRAEL WHO HE WORRIES MOST ABOUT.
AND RIGHTFULLY SO. HIS OLDEST GRANDDAUGHTER WAS JUST THREE BLOCKS AWAY FROM A MISILE STRIKE ON THURSDAY.
Rabbi Shore- WHEN MOST OF THESE MISSILES ARE GOING INTO RESIDENTIAL AREAS, THATS TERRORISM. I THINK THATS THE MESSAGE I’M GETTING OUT. THIS IS NOT MILITANTS, THIS IS TERRORISM. TERRORISM TO STRIKE TERROR IN THE HEARTS OF PEOPLE.
Valentina LaFranca- RABBI SHORE BELIEVES THIS IS NOT A WAR OVER TERRITORY, IT IS A WAR ABOUT RELIGION.
HE SAYS IT GOES AGAINST EVERYTHING JUDISM STANDS FOR TO KILL AN ENEMY, AND BEING FORCED TO DEFEND THEMSELVES IS THE ULTIMATE HARDSHIP
WHILE THE JEWISH RELIGION AIMS TO LOVE ALL AND FORGIVE, JEWISH SYRACUSE GRADUATE STUDENT CARSON CRESTOHL EXPRESSES WHAT HE BELIEVES HAMAS WANTS IN THE END.
Carson Crestol- THE ISRALI DEFENSE FORCE SPECIFICALLY TOLD THE PEOPLE OF GAZA TO GO ANYWHERE ELSE THEY CAN AWAY FROM YOU KNOW WHERE THE MILITARY TARGETS ARE BUT HAMAS IS SPECIFICALLY MANDATING THAT THEIR CITIZENS REMAIN WHERE THEY ARE. THEY’RE SO INTENT ON MAKING ISRAEL LOOK BAD IN FRONT OF THE WORLD THAT THEY’RE WILLING TO SACRIFICE POTENTIALLY MILLIONS OF THEIR OWN PEOPLE.
WHAT I’VE BEEN ASKING ALL OF MY NON-JEWISH FRIENDS WHO HAVE BEEN GREAT ABOUT CHECKING IN ON ME OVER THE RECENT DAYS IS TO GET THEMSELVES EDUCATED ON THE HISTORY OF THE CONFLICT. THERE HAVE BEEN WRONG COMMITTED BY BOTH SIDES OF THIS CONFLICT BUT WHAT I WANT PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT THE PRESENT FREE PALESTINE MOVEMENT IS SPECIFICALLY CELEBRATING THE ATTACKS AND MURDERS OF INNOCENT JEWISH MEN, WOMAN, AND CHILDREN. NOT ONLY IN ISRAEL BUT ACROSS THE WORLD NOW AS WELL.
Valentina LaFranca- WHAT IS HAPPENING IN ISREAL IS A TRADEGYY AND NO ONE HERE CAN UNDERSTAND HOW THE PEOPLE THERE ARE COPING.
BUT I DID ASK RABBI SHORE… HOW DO YOU COPE?
Rabbi Shore- I THINK THATS AN EXCELLENT QUESTION AND I THINK IT’S DIFFICULT FOR ME TO ANSWER BECAUSE I DON’T KNOW HOW I AM COPING. I THINK THAT PART OF IT IS MY POSITION AS THE RABBI OF THE SYNAGOGUE, THERE’S AN ASSUMPTION THAT YOU’RE THE LEADER AND YOU HAVE TO STAND STRONG AND FIRM BUT EVERY NIGHT I HAVE TO REALIZE I’M A HUMAN BEING.
FROM SYRACUSE, NY
I’M VALENTINA LAFRANCA WITH N-C-C News
Syracuse, N.Y. (NCC NEWS) – As the days pass by and more lives are lost, the Israel-Hamas war continues. Every hour national headlines are released, updating the world on another missile strike or of a protest erupting.
This war is distant in miles but hits close to home for many people. People right here in Syracuse like Rabbi Shore from a local synagogue. With a son, daughter in law, and six grandchildren in Israel, he has been praying three times day for their safety. His oldest granddaughter was even just three blocks away from a missile strike a few days ago.
“When most of these missiles are going into residential areas, that’s terrorism,” Shore said. “Terrorism to strike terror in the hearts of people.”
Shore is certain it is not militants and wants to get the message out there. He believes this is not a war over territory but a war about religion. In the eyes of Hamas, Jewish people are not innocent, he said.
“No one is considered an innocent unless you believe as they do and act as they do. That is scary,” He said.
Carson Crestohl, Jewish Syracuse University graduate student, has the same ideology.
Crestohls’ grandfather fought for the creation of the state of Israel in 1948 and his whole family is proud of that. He said it is the root of why he is personally connected to the state and invested in its wellbeing and continued thriving.
“The Israeli Defense Force specifically told the people of Gaza to go anywhere else they can, away from where the military targets are but Hamas is specifically mandating that their citizens remain where they are. They’re so intent of making Israel look bad in front of the world that they’re willing to sacrifice potentially millions of their own people.” Crestohl said.
Rabbi Shore and Crestohl agree, the only time Hamas can change is when Hamas loves its children.
“Every night I go to sleep, not asking for the destruction of our enemies, I ask that God that he enlightens them so they put down their arms, they put down their missiles, and truly everyone comes together,” Shore said. “There’s a prophet that says we’re all of one father, we all come from Adam and Eve, let’s act like one cohesive family.”
