Malverne joins to support its Jewish neighbors

The days since Israel declared war on Hamas have been marked by grief, fear and division — but communities are coming together. Residents of Malverne joined on Sunday to stand with its Jewish community.

“I’m so grateful for our village of Malverne that comes together to support each other and live the statement that hate has no home here,” said Susan Elkodsi, spiritual leader of the Malverne Jewish Center, who led the Sunday gathering at at Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in song and prayer.

Members of the Jewish Center and Our Lady of Lourdes were joined by congregants from Grace Lutheran Church, Mayor Tim Sullivan and the village board, Assemblyman Brian Curran, State Sen. Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick and others.

“We pray particularly for our Jewish brothers and sisters,” Rev. James Stachacz of Our Lady of Lourdes said. “We also pray for the Palestinian Christians and Muslims who are also innocent victims. We pray for those who are suffering. We pray for a swift and just end to this conflict.”

Elkodsi noted that not since the Holocaust have so many Jewish people been killed in a single day.

“Jerusalem is holy to Jews, Christians and Muslims, and the only way to make sure that all have access to their holy sites is to support Israel and her right to exist and to defend her citizens,” Elkodsi said. “For many, this may seem far removed — after all, it’s half a world away. But it won’t stay there.”

“W are with you,” Mayor Sullivan said. “We are thinking of you. We are praying for you.”

He added that the board had pledged village support, including Malverne police presence.

“It’s a time to stand in solidarity with Israel and its citizens without reservations or conditions,”

Curran said. He called for people to speak out against antisemitic speech, and for educational institutions that promote antisemitism to be defunded.

“May the murdering terrorists who perpetrated these heinous and cowardice acts be brought to justice, and may Hamas and Hezbollah be relegated to the ash bin of history,” Curran added.

Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, a resident of Malverne, traveled to Israel just last month with Rep Anthony D’Esposito and County Executive Bruce Blakeman to discuss how to better address antisemitism.

“We have to stay unified,” she said. “I know that every level of government is behind Israel. I can tell you that anybody that’s not will not get support from many, many people in various levels of government.”

But first and foremost, the sentiments of those who gathered were with the people suffering in Israel and Gaza — particularly the many congregants’ loved ones who live in Israel.

“In the Jewish community, there’s no such thing as six degrees of separation,” Elkodsi said. “More like one or two. Everyone knows someone personally, or knows someone who does, who has suffered, who has died and who has been called to active duty this past week.”

West Hempstead

Rabbi Art Vernon, of Congregation Shaaray Shalom in West Hempstead, has a daughter and six grandchildren living in Israel, including a grandson in the army.

“Almost everybody in the congregation has relatives, family, friends living in Israel,” Rabbi Vernon said. “And so we’re deeply concerned about what’s going to happen to our family and friends.”

He said that while there have been attacks on Israel since the Holocaust, within living memory — the Yom Kippur War, for example — this feels “very, very different.” The community is filled with anxiety, he said.

Many times last week, Shaaray Shalom joined other Jewish congregaitons to pray together and share their experiences.

“It’s a way of supporting each other, discovering that we’re all feeling more or less the same thing,” Rabbi Vernon said. “We’re all going through this together, and it gives us all support.”

Rabbi Vernon said there had been an outpouring of support from non-Jewish neighbors.

“It’s very reassuring that the people who are not Jewish understand our concern, understand the potential threat to us, and are going to do everything they can to make us feel comfortable and secure,” he said.

He asked that everyone, regardless of faith, pray for peace in Israel and Palestine.

“Whatever your form of prayer is, pray for Israel and for peace in the region,” he said.