Community members gather to mourn Israeli victims

Columbia, SC (WOLO) — Faith leaders and community members mourning the lives lost in israel at the Jewish Community Center on Flora Drive.

ABC Columbia’s Miya Payton was there as dozens gathered to remember victims.

During the vigil at the Jewish Community Center,  a continuation of what’s been happening since the surprise attack on Saturday, praying for victims. Organizers declaring this evening a call to action for all to learn the facts of what’s going on in israel and share it plainly with others.

Kenneth Berger who is the President of the Columbia Jewish Federation says

“we don’t need hyperbole when people are being lit on fire we don’t need hyperbole when forty babies are being murdered don’t need hyperbole when women and children are being kidnapped from their homes and tortured these are fact – facts that ought to be shared”

Ron and Rena Neiger live in the United States and in Israel, alternating between the two every month.
Currently here though,  helplessly looking at the images from thousands of miles away.

“We‘ve never seen anything like this happen in Israel we’ve lived in Israel for years and years.” … “As the details keep piling up we were more and more distressed over what was going onto the crowd rena shared words sent from a friend in israel who has family missing.”….“It was heartbreaking because she talked about her cousin and her cousins husband, they don’t know where they are they’ve been either abducted or killed but they don’t know.”

For the neigers the violence does not break their resolve to survive in Israel.

“we have four children and there and grandchildren they all live in israel so of course we are going back  because that’s our home and we are planning to go back after a month here. So,  November 3rd no matter what”