For the Jewish community, Shabbat is where families traditionally celebrate a day of rest. But this year, the Israel-Hamas war is casting a dark shadow over the observance.
On Friday, there was a somber display in Foster City. It was one of six that were set up in the Bay Area Friday and follows similar exhibits in countries around the world.
As the Jewish Community Relations Council, or the JCRC set up a long table at Leo Ryan Park in Foster City with 240 empty chairs, honoring the kidnapped hostages being held by Hamas.
Each chair had an attached photo and brief biography.
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“People are coming here to honor the kidnapped hostages and to see their faces, to find out and see how old they are, how young they are and to pay their respects,” said JCRC Community Engagement Director Rebecca Goodman.
Similar solidarity tables were also up in Berkeley, Napa, San Francisco, Sausalito and Walnut Creek.
“What’s important about this exhibit is these are faces and stories for each one of these and that’s what I hope doesn’t get lost in our world, that we don’t forget these are individual people. They are parents. They are children. They are siblings. They are loved ones,” said JCRC board member Natasha Kehimkar.
Some people who attended Friday’s events say they now plan to head to Washington DC next week for a big rally at the capitol.
There are no set plans for another exhibit in the Bay Area. But organizers say, unfortunately, with the ongoing situation in the Middle East, more events are being planned.
