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YU kumzitz in Times Square

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More than 1,000 people joined a Yeshiva University-organized kumzitz in support of Israel on the Red Steps in Times Square on Sunday night.

Led by student Aryeh Tiefenbrunn on guitar and YU’s a cappella group on backup vocals, they were joined by friends and passersby, flooding the heart of Manhattan with songs of peace and love for the Israel.

“At such a critical time for Israel, it is imperative to show the world that we support our brethren there and that we are thinking of them, praying for them, and hoping that this wave of terror ends very soon,” said YU Israel Club President Shlomo Anapolle.

Some in the diverse crowd found themselves drawn to the music and dancing as they passed through Times Squares, many stopping to take pictures and record the moment.

“Yeshiva University’s greatest asset is our student body, and when they mobilize in so many different ways to support Israel we all realize that we are working with the next generation of our people’s leaders,” said Rabbi Kenneth Brander, vice president for university and community life at YU.

Ilan Swartz-Brownstein, a senior majoring in marketing at Sy Syms School of Business, contributed to this article. Photos by Shimon Lindenblatt.