On Sunday, June 23, Market Square in downtown Ossining, New York was the scene of a hate demonstration. Antisemitic chants and slogans such as “Globalize the intifada,” “Hey, hey, ho, ho, Zionism has got to go,” and “From the river to the sea,” among others, were shouted by the demonstrators.
Then, just one week later, on Sunday June 30, Market Square was transformed into a scene of peace, love, facts and unity. An “in support of Israel” rally was held, co-organized by local residents Aaron Spring, 27, and Stacy Halper, with advice from Rabbi Dovid Labkowski of Chabad Briarcliff-Ossining. The community was mobilized and the pro-Israel rally was attended by over 120 people representing different faiths, walks of life and political opinions.
Spring told The Jewish Link: “I heard about the hate demonstration from a friend who saw it posted online. The marchers tried to say that anti-Zionism is not equivalent to antisemitism, however that is a fallacy. I find it interesting that the crowd claimed to be ‘anti-colonizer,’ yet they failed to realize the oldest colonization in history is that which occurred when the Temple was destroyed and the Jewish people were driven from their homeland. I would urge them to read history, consider facts and think twice before supporting terror movements.
“After seeing the hateful crowd march to Village Hall, I knew I could not sit back and do nothing and cede them the platform to sway public opinion. I think it is important for people to realize there are still hostages, including eight Americans. Hamas is using civilians as human shields and their backers are both anti-American and anti-Israel. We cannot allow our youth and others to be misled by counter-protesters claiming Israel is engaged in genocide, when the facts and data say otherwise.
“This rally was not just about supporting Israel and America, but it was also a battle for the narrative on how Jews are perceived in our modern society. People tend to forget that the Holocaust ended only 80 years ago, and we must stand vehemently against any rhetoric or actions that allowed the same forces to rise against us in the 1930s. Public opinion in favor of Israel must stand firm and it is up to us Jews to combat misinformation with the truth.”
Co-organizer Halper told The Jewish Link: “No one was reprimanded for hate speech, nor did the local authorities condemn this type of behavior in the week that followed. Free speech is one thing, but allowing hate speech can incite riots and criminal, antisemitic behavior. We see this all the time in New York City and we didn’t want this to happen in our hometown. We wanted to show this town that we Jews live here and will not be bullied by blatant false and dangerous rhetoric.
“We called out to our community, Jewish and non-Jewish alike, to stand together and show our faith and strength. We as Jews are tied to Israel as we are to our families. Israel is where our people come from. It is written in our Torah. It is written in our souls. We are not the frightened Jews of 1939. We will stand firm.”
At the “in support of Israel” rally, Halper sang “October Rain,” and the attendees sang “The Star Spangled Banner” and “Am Yisrael Chai,” and chanted “Bring Them Home.”
Yorktown Heights, New York resident Talia Pierson, 15, was a positive, strong voice for the younger generation of Jews and Zionists, the 120 hostages still remaining in Hamas captivity, and the hope for the Jewish future. The teenager, who was also at the hate rally, delivered a powerful speech, saying: “One week ago, the calls coming out of this square during a demonstration were ones of hatred, destruction and ignorance. While claiming to call for an end to suffering, what my friends and I, along with other supporters of Israel, witnessed, contradicted this. Among the chants made and slogans used were ‘Globalize the intifada,’ ‘We don’t want no Zionists here’ and ‘resistance is justified.’ To be clear, these quotes openly call for and justify terrorism.
“We walked around the square holding signs and saying the names of 1-year-old Kfir Bibas, 4-year-old Ariel Bibas and 20-year-old Naama Levy,” Pierson continued. “I truly hoped that by discussing the innocent, peace-seeking civilians who were abducted from their homes on October 7, we could find some common ground with these protesters, through our shared humanity.
“Instead, we were met with hatred and indifference. In many cases, we were referred to as white supremacists, fueled by Zionist propaganda, and told to ‘go back to Poland.’ One compared the actions of Hamas on October 7 to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. Another denied the rape and sexual violence faced by women on October 7, and that female hostages continue to face in captivity, despite harrowing testimonies of released hostages, a report put out by the United Nations, and videos filmed by Hamas themselves.
“In a devastatingly ironic way, Naama Levy, like many others abducted and murdered on October 7, was a peace activist. She participated in a delegation that brought together Israeli, Palestinian and American youth, to develop mutual understanding and equip them with the tools to work towards a future of peace. Despite Naama’s belief in the good in people, she was taken into the hands of monsters on October 7, where she has remained for the last nearly nine months. In a recently released video filmed by Hamas, Naama can be seen with four others, their faces and pants bloodied, begging for her life. She stated, ‘I have friends in Palestine,’ but that did not matter to the terrorists who abducted, raped and continue to terrorize her.”
The teenager continued: “No matter how hard we try, there will continue to be those who choose to deny, justify and even celebrate the atrocities of October 7, and the continued actions of Hamas in Gaza. As agonizing as it is to see and accept, we must continue to show up, with strength, love and in unity. We cannot accept hatred, ignorance and support for terror, certainly not in our own communities. This horrific war was a response to a terrorist organization invading Israel, murdering 1,200 civilians in their homes and at a peaceful music festival, and taking over 200 captive. We cannot allow the world to forget that, and the fact that 120 hostages still remain in captivity.”
Rabbi Labkowski’s speech addressed our connection to Israel, the fight for Jewish existence facing Israel and the Jewish people, and our belief in the Torah. “For over 2,000 years, wherever we were, we always hoped and prayed that we would come back home. At the end of every Seder, we say, ‘L’Shana Haba’ah B’Yerushalayim,’ ‘Next year in Jerusalem.’ We are not just admirers who love Israel. We are called Bnei Yisrael and Am Yisrael. Our very name ‘Yisrael’ equals Israel, because we are one with Israel, inseparable from our holy country.
“In the Torah, which every Christian and every Muslim also believes in, it tells us very clearly that God gave the holy land of Israel to the Jewish people as our eternal gift. The fight for Israel is a fight for the survival of the Jewish people, and we are all soldiers in that battle. The Lubavitcher Rebbe always taught us that at a time like this, we need to embrace our Jewish traditions even more than ever, sending a loud message to the world that the Jewish people are alive and well.”
Rabbi Dina Rosenberg, senior rabbi, Congregation Sons of Israel, Briarcliff Manor, New York, spoke at the rally. “We will not define ourselves based on those who are filled with hate. We will continue to embrace Israel as a home for the Jews with the desire of peace and to welcome all nations to worship there in peace. The formation of the Jewish State of Israel is a story of resilience, justice and hope.”
David Malchman, a resident of Elmsford, New York and coordinator of the Westchester chapter of the global Run 4 Their Lives organization, said: “It was important to show up given the pro-Hamas rally the previous week. I want to make sure that Jews and our allies don’t feel they have to cower in the face of hate. Reaching out to Aaron Spring, I found the intention of the rally was peaceful and to be inspiring…” He sees the impact of the rally as “having Jews and allies come together peacefully, and provide strength that there are like-minded people in the community who care about the release of the hostages, the safety of Israelis in Israel, and the safety of Jews in our Westchester community.”
Malchman recounted how the October 7 attack unfolded in the town of Ofakim and how his friend was murdered there by Hamas snipers. He implored the crowd “to learn from people on the ground in Israel and not rely upon the media to describe events. Many of us have family and friends in Israel. Get their stories. Our ability to tell their stories is important.”
Spring sees the rally as a success. “We as a community cannot allow partisanship and political differences to stand in the way of supporting Israel. In this cause we must stand together. I want to see the attendees of the rally continue to support Israel through donations, social media posts, purchase of Israel bonds and products, and the willingness to respectfully and safely challenge anti-Israel assertions. We cannot allow antisemitism to go unchecked.
“As an American Jew, I think it is our duty to stand by the Jewish State of Israel and support Israel in any way we can. Jews maintain both a biblical and historical claim to the nation of Israel, and America has always stood by Israel since its global recognition in 1948. This is clearly a battle of good versus evil, and I know that I stand with the families and friends of those lost on October 7 and against terrorists and their sympathizers.”
Susan R. Eisenstein is a longtime Jewish educator, passionate about creating special, innovative activities for her students. She is also passionate about writing about Jewish topics and about Israel. She has two master’s degrees and a doctorate in education from Columbia University.
