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Our community woke up this morning to the horrific and unprecedented terrorist attacks by Hamas on Israel. As we direct our attention, concern and love to the people of Israel and pray for their safety, we feel an urgency to update you on key developments in the local Westchester area related to this ongoing crisis.

We are in close communication with our partners at the Community Security Initiative (CSI), the Community Security Service (CSS) and with local law enforcement to ensure that our communities are safe. Please know that there are no known threats to our communities, and we are blessed to have partners in law enforcement who work to secure our communities each and every day so that we can safely gather together. Let us not hesitate to gather together in solidarity as our Jewish holiday season comes to a close.

We are in direct contact and have been receiving messages and offers of support from our elected officials, public officials and people from many faiths and ethnic backgrounds. We thank them all and look forward to following up with them in the days ahead in response to this crisis.

We also thank our synagogues that are serving as places of gathering, prayer and comfort in the midst of Shabbat and Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah observances.

After the holiday, we will share information about county-wide communal rallies that as always will be coordinated by the Council in full partnership with our member organizations (including our community JAFI Shlicha/emissary Shachar) as well as local events, webinars, briefings and more.

The Council was founded 48 years ago in response to our community’s need to unite after the Yom Kippur War. This is a sacred responsibility. Please know that we will continue to monitor this situation and will be in touch with you after the holiday (or sooner if the situation warrants) with as much information and action items as possible.

We offer prayers for peace and stand together, strongly, proudly and unequivocally with our brothers and sisters in Israel.