Deidre Christofalo stood draped in an Israeli flag on Sunday afternoon, her eyes filled with tears as she talked about her family.
“I’m not doing well,” she said. “My grandmother was an Auschwitz survivor when she was 28, and now my daughter is turning 28 next month and we had to bring her home from Israel because they are killing Jews again.”
Other family members, she said, remain in Israel. Standing by her side was her husband, Phil. He carried a poster with a picture of two children who were kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, during the terror attack in which more than 1,300 Israelis were killed and 199, including many children and elderly, were abducted into Gaza by the terror group.
The Christofalos of Denville, New Jersey, were among the 5,000 people who gathered in Livingston in support of Israel. The event started with a march from the Synagogue of the Suburban Torah Center and culminated as a solidarity rally at the Livingston Memorial Oval. Among the speakers to address the crowd were Dov Ben-Shimon, CEO of Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ; Livingston Mayor Michael Vieira; Assemblyman and former West Orange Mayor John McKeon; Rabbi Simeon Cohen, chair of the Livingston Clergies; and Moshe Glick and Larry Rein of the MetroWest Israel Action Committee.
Ben-Shimon remarked, “The priorities are clear: Free the captives, bring the murderers and rapists to justice, and free Gaza and Israel from Hamas once and for all.”
“We will not let hate win,” Vieira said. “We will not let terrorism prevail.”
Rein, who is also deputy mayor of West Orange and president of JSDD, said, “We will not rest and sit back until there is peace and justice in Israel. We are reliving the Holocaust and we cannot let this happen to any society.”
“We are sickened by the slaughter of innocent men and women, and now a new depravity, the kidnapping, burning and beheading of babies,” declared Glick, “The world may have lost its moral compass. We have not!”
As people walked along local streets accompanied by a convoy of police cars, they were greeted by drivers who honked their horns and waved their hands from car windows to show their support.
They were also greeted by people who handed out bottles of water to the thousands of marchers, including employees from Sweet Kneads by Ridhima, a kosher bakery in Livingston, who distributed freshly baked cookies and brownies and water to everyone.
For many who came, like the Muschel family of West Orange—parents Yoni and Jenny, along with their children Sammy, 5, and Sadie, 2—the rally was deeply personal. As Yoni Muschel said, “We have a lot of family and friends in Israel and it’s important to show them, and the world, that we stand with and that we love Israel.”
“It’s very difficult right now; we need a lot of prayers,” said Suzan Chaiklin. “My parents’ house is shaking from the rockets, my brother is in the south near Gaza.”
Amie Swanbeck came to the rally from Chester, New Jersey, with her mother, sister and a family friend. An alum of the Birthright Israel program, she said she has numerous friends who are in Israel now.
“What is happening in Israel is terrible. I am angry, and I’ve been trying to reconcile my anger for the last week,” she said, as she carried a homemade sign that read: “The world did not defend Jews when 6 million were murdered. Today, do not stand in their way when they defend themselves.”
Swanbeck said she is particularly hurt by her peers, other young adults, who fail to accept what happened when Hamas terrorists destroyed whole towns and families in their deadly assault. “I want to scream at those who choose to ignore it,” she said.
Some attendees at the rally took a moment to put on tefillin and recite Shema, doing their part to spiritually support Israel, while others wrote and colored letters for members of the Israel Defense Forces.
The march and solidarity rally for Israel was organized by the MetroWest Israel Action Committee, in cooperation with Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ, and united more than 70 organizations, including synagogues, churches, schools and other institutions from counties including Morris, Union, Essex and even as far as Somerset.
When the names of the sponsoring organizations were read aloud during the event, it was the names of the non-Jewish groups that drew the loudest applause. In recognition of the non-Jews in attendance prayers were recited both in Hebrew and English.
As attendee Wendy Lenchner said, “I’m happy to know that other groups are here to support Israel,” while her mother, Ilana Lieberman said, “It’s important that Israel get as much support as they can get.”
The MetroWest Israel Action Committee’s volunteer group, consisting of Howard Blank, Josh Commer, Cindi Dresdner, Renee and Moshe Glick, Chaim Goldman, Barbara Listhaus and Larry Rein, planned this event in just four days in cooperation with Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest.
The Committee plans to launch more events and initiatives to help Israel in the next few weeks, with a focus on efforts to help free the hostages and support the IDF. To join the WhatsApp Group or obtain more info, call 855-458-5268 or email [email protected]
Faygie Holt is the author of the bestselling Jewish children’s book series, The Achdus Club, for girls ages 8 to 11. The books “The New Girl” and “Trouble Ahead” are available at Jewish bookstores across the country and online at menuchapublishers.com. An award-winning journalist and editor, Faygie’s work appears regularly on Chabad.org and in The Jewish Link, among other outlets. Learn more about the author, her books and her writing at faygielevy.com
