Vigil held in San Francisco for Israeli hostages taken by Hamas
Vigil held in San Francisco for Israeli hostages taken by Hamas
A vigil was held Sunday night in San Francisco to remember the Israeli hostages killed by Hamas and those still held captive following the deadly October 7th attack. Several hundred people gathered at the Menorah Community Center in the city's Richmond District.
SAN FRANCISCO - A vigil was held Sunday night in San Francisco to remember the Israeli hostages killed by Hamas and those still held captive following the deadly October 7th attack.
Several hundred people gathered at the Menorah Community Center in the city's Richmond District.
The vigil follows the death of Hamas-held hostages, 83-year-old Oded Lifshitz, Shiri Bibas and her two young boys, Kfir and Ariel.
"These past few days have been filled with unimaginable pain," said a member of a kibbutz attacked on Oct. 7, addressing the emotional crowd.
Rabbi Shimon Margolin of the Russian Speaking Jewish Community of San Francisco, helped organize the event.
He called the acts of violence "despicable depravity" and said the community felt "helpless, angry, and sad."
"It’s important to be with community at this time," said Alexander Kerman, who attended the event. "It’s like a big family here, where people can share ideas and support each other."
Among the other attendees were diplomats and lawmakers, and many struggling to cope with the weight of the situation.
Rabbi Margolin urged people to unite and demand the return of the hostages. "If all the people in the world would say very simply and unequivocally that the hostages need to come home and that they have nothing to do with this struggle, I think the hostages would be in Israel the next day," said Margolin.
Since the Oct. 7 attack, 251 hostages have been taken by Hamas-led militants. Israel estimates that 66 are still in captivity, with approximately half believed to be alive.