The pain of the newest war between Israel and Hamas afflicted many in the crowd Thursday night at the Addison-Penzak Jewish Community Center in Los Gatos.
That’s especially true for Tal Popliker Goldstein, whose cousin was killed when Hamas terrorists attacked the Nova music festival in Israel.
“I wish no one would ever need to go through something like this,” said Golstein. “Never, ever again.”
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
Golstein said her cousin, Ram, was part of the festival’s production team. She added that before he was killed, Ram texted his mother that he loved her.
Many in the crowd at the community center Thursday know or knew someone impacted and came in search of community.
“I know they’re far away. But it doesn't feel like it. It feels like it happened in my own backyard,” said Lisa, who declined to provide a last name.
Local and federal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. will be on heightened alert Friday after a former Hamas leader called for a day of "anger” to support the terror group’s attack on Israel.
“Our police department is doing a tremendous job monitoring the situation, connecting with community leaders, being out and engaged with the community, visiting synagogues, Jewish schools,” said San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, who was in attendance Thursday. “And they’re going to continue being active in the community tomorrow, and going forward we are going to take care of our Jewish neighbors.”
In San Francisco, a police spokesperson said officers are making passing calls by places of worship and other community centers that have expressed concerns.
The spokesperson said, in part: “We ask the community to alert the SFPD if they see any potential threats or suspicious behavior. At this time we do not have any information of any imminent threats of violence.”
On a statewide level, the California Office of Emergency Management released a statement, which reads, in part: “While we are aware of statements made about potential threats on Friday, October 13, I want to emphasize that no specific and credible threat to California has been identified at this time.”
Historically, similar calls have yielded large demonstrations in the Middle East but have not led to large-scale attacks in the U.S.
