LIVINGSTON, NJ — Nearly 2,000 Jews from 20 MetroWest synagogues, schools and other institutions united to demonstrate solidarity with Israel, and to condemn the recent string of antisemitic attacks occurring in the United States and globally on Sunday, May 23.
Representing 20 Reform, Conservative and Orthodox institutions, the community gathered at Suburban Torah Center in Livingston and then proceeded to march and gather at Livingston Town Hall, pumped up with Israeli music by Uri Abramov of Olam DJ.
Moshe Glick, an event co-organizer from West Orange, got cheers from the crowd as he proclaimed, “We need to do our part and show the world we are unabashed, unapologetic supporters of Israel. … Our politicians need to understand there is no gray line. Either you stand with Israel, the greatest friend of the U.S. in the Middle East, or you stand with Hamas, a terrorist organization that celebrated the 9/11 attackers. … We must do our part to ensure ‘never again’ truly means never again!”
Rabbi Elie Mischel of Suburban Torah in Livingston, one of the event organizers, who is actually making aliyah, meaning moving to Israel, shortly with his family, addressed the crowd with passion and received a thunderous applause, “Anti-Zionism is antisemitism. It is time for us to wake up. There is a war going on and it’s a war against Jews everywhere. Where is the condemnation?”
Put together in just three days, the event was spurred to action by Cindi Dresdner, of West Orange, with a text to a few friends. In addition to Dresdner, Glick and Mischel, the grassroots initiative was also led by West Orange and Livingston residents Larry Rein, Howard Blank, Chaim Goldman and others.
To join this grassroots initiative in supporting Israel and combating antisemitism, email MetroWestJews@gmail.com.
Photos Courtesy of Renee Glick
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