Chicago's Jewish community celebrates Rosh Hashanah nearly 1 year after Hamas attack on Israel
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Wednesday is the beginning of the Jewish new year, Rosh Hashanah. It comes nearly one year after the Hamas attack on Israel that killed over 1,000 people.
Ahead of sundown, some folks gathered at The Living Room community center in Wicker Park for the Jewish new year.
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Rosh Hashanah is celebrated with prayer, a lighting of candles and a holiday meal, featuring round challah, apple and honey, and a message of renewal.
"It's a new year, so in a way, we couldn't wait sooner for a new beginning and a new start, especially with what happened this past year," said Rabbi Yosef Moscowitz with The Living Room Chabad of Bucktown Wicker Park.
The start of the Jewish high holidays comes at a tenuous moment ahead of October 7, which marks one year after Hamas attacked Israel, sparking the war in Gaza.
An Israel soldier from Chicago spoke to ABC7 Wednesday, reflecting on the loss and hope of the Jewish community.
People have suffered devastating losses, but what I've seen again and again is the resilience of our community.Rabbi Avraham Kagan, Chabad of River North
Shraga Eli Stern, a Major Reserve for the Israeli Defense Forces, flew out from Chicago to Israel within hours of hearing about the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on his country, where over 1,100 people were killed and over 200 more taken as hostages during a music festival near Gaza.
"I was picked up by one of my soldiers that gave me a uniform and a gun and everything at the airport, and I drove down, it's about an hour drive, drove down straight to the battlefield," Stern said.
The IDF major said he knew then that more was coming.
"Israel has no war with the Palestinian people," Stern said. "It's a one big collective war against Iran. Iran is destabilizing the whole Middle East and riding other little conflicts between different ethnicities and religions."
Stern said the war ends and begins with Iran, who launched at least 220 missiles into Israel Tuesday just days before the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah.
"They want the same destiny for Israel as they want for America... they want to totally destroy," Stern said.
Stern said he has witnessed families lose their homes, loved ones and livelihoods. As Stern prepares to head back to Israel to fight the war, he's reminding the world that freedom isn't free. Stern said the Jewish community remains strong in Chicago and they lean on leaders for hope.
"People forgot that freedom has to be fought for," Stern said.
Israel now has troops on the ground in Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah. Here in America, the FBI warning of "a heightened threat environment... against Jewish, Muslim, and Arab communities and institutions..." this week.
Chicago police have increasing patrols near houses of worship.
"We have armed security at all our activities and all our services and dinners and everything, on one hand," Moscowitz said. "On the other hand, our doors are open for everybody."
Earlier on Wednesday, Chicago-area doctors spoke of the horrors they witnessed in Gaza during recent aid trips, renewing calls for a ceasefire.
READ MORE | Chicago-area doctors volunteering in Gaza call for ceasefire; over 40,000 Palestinians killed
"A ceasefire that the Gazan people, the people of Palestine are able to have the dignity to be able to move on with their lives and start the very necessary rebuild," MedGlobal board member Dr. Thaer Ahmad said.
Federal authorities told ABC News that the heightened threat environment in the U.S. could last through January's presidential inauguration.
Avraham Kagan, a rabbi at Chabad of River North, said his job is to remind his congregation of the joy in the small things.
"Fear is a natural reaction, and people have suffered devastating losses, but what I've seen again and again is the resilience of our community," Kagan said. "When you walk into a room that's dark and you light a candle, the whole room lights up."
Rabbi Kagan said on Yom Kippur they will be reading names of the victims from the October 7 attack, and then on Simchat Torah, the most joyous Jewish holiday of the year, they will dance and celebrate for those who can't.
