LAFAYETTE – Hundreds of people gathered at Temple Isaiah in Lafayette to show their support for the hostages and the Israeli community.
Many of them have consistently appeared at these types of events over the past year.
“We’re all in this together, that’s what it feels like, we’re all in this together,” Yoav Harlev said.
Harlev is leaning on his community, almost a year after Hamas launched an attack on his home.
“I grew up in one of the communities that was attacked on October 7,” Harlev said. “In my community we had 19 people who were brutally murdered. We still have a hostage in Gaza, he is 86 years old and my entire community has been very badly affected.”
That man’s photo is one of many on a sign outside the Temple Isaiah. On Sunday evening, the Contra Costa Jewish Community Center (JCC) held a service of hope and resilience.
The service comes just days after Harlev spoke to his family in Israel.
“A cousin told me earlier this week that we are fighting for our survival and you are the one on the front lines, you are the one keeping the message alive,” Harlev said. “To remind the world that the hostages are still out there.”
That was part of the purpose of this service, organized by Yana Berger.
“We are here to come together as a community to be together to remember, to cherish, to pray for the return of the hostages and to feel the strength through unity,” Berger said.
Orrin Franko is a board member of the JCC. His father is Israeli and he has family in Israel. He says he hopes the non-Jewish community can learn more about their perspective.
“The biggest thing I hope for is that the world understands the circumstances that Israel finds itself in,” Franko said. “Ultimately, there is a conflict that has been going on for thousands of years and to think it will end anytime soon is unrealistic, but I do think there has been a shift in the way Americans and the world view Israel and the Jews in general viewing. The hope is that we can change the dialogue somewhat and that people can understand the challenges that Israel faces.”
Despite how long the trouble had gone on, Harlev was hopeful that the hostages would be home by now.
“I assumed it would take a few weeks, a few months, there would be a deal, the hostages would come home, we would figure everything out, but a year later here we are,” he said.
Even though he’s reached the one-year mark, he’s still hopeful that in a year, they won’t need a service like the one on Sunday.
“I hope not, I hope not,” said Harlev. ‘We have to get them home. We have to put an end to this.’
People from the JCC say they will continue organizing events until the last hostages are released.
