Family and friends in the Jewish community and beyond came together in Barrie on Saturday morning to support each other after recent terrorist attacks in Israel.
Attacks began on Oct. 7 when Hamas militants stunned Israel with hundreds of rockets and sent gunmen into several locations outside the Gaza Strip, killing more than 1,200 Israelis and sparking war within the country.
More than 150 people gathered inside Am Shalom Congregation in south-end Barrie on Huronia Road.
Several police officers made their presence known outside the entrance to the synagogue, and they could be seen inside as well.
Local police departments appeared to be in a state of heightened awareness after ex-Hamas head Khaled Meshaal called for protests on the previous day, Oct. 13, across the Muslim world.
Rabbi Audrey Kaufman, with tears in her eyes, apologized to the congregation for having the front doors locked Saturday while the service commenced, and said she was “so very grateful” for the police being there as she gestured toward three officers standing along a far wall inside the synagogue.
There were prayers and songs as the congregation supported each other under a cloud of mourning, fear and anger after the attacks in Israel.
There were members of other religious communities in attendance to show their support, including Christians and Muslims.
Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall spoke to the audience, noting it was his first time there, and he wished it was under better circumstances.
“We have three generations of Nuttalls sitting in this room today, and it hit me: There’s many, many families who don’t have these generations left now because of the atrocities committed last Saturday, so we are blessed and honoured to be here with you,” he said.
“You are not mourning alone, and your anger is not alone.”
Nuttall said his presence there today has also been offered to the Barrie mosque, and at some point he said he thinks that will be appropriate and taken up on, “because I honestly believe that we in Barrie are one community.”
Barrie-Innisfil MP John Brassard expressed a harder tone in his support of the Jewish community.
“We stand united in the cause of Israel, united in the defence of Israel, united in the condemnation of what went on with these egregious terrorist attacks by a terrorist organization, Hamas,” he said, speaking at the podium.
“We also stand in condemnation of the repugnant and vile support that we have seen this week, not just around the world, but here in our country, for Hamas. And I say this, and I mean this, that we should never accept or tolerate it, that type of behaviour in this country.
“We’ve seen it with organizations, we’ve seen it with union leaders — supporting what has happened in Israel — and none of us should stand for that.”
Standing at the front door and unlocking it for those coming and going at the service, Bob Meadows, of Alliston, shared a few thoughts with BarrieToday.
“I think it is very moving, seeing the community come out the way they have,” he said.
“We have the Muslim community here, we have the Christian community here, and a lot of the Jewish community here, of course. It’s emotional. It’s very emotional seeing the support that we’re getting from the Barrie community.
“You’ve got to see the whole picture, and I think this is just putting into perspective what we Jews have to go through on a daily basis.
“This isn’t the first time this has happened and it won’t be the last. We are a targeted people, and any visible minority is, especially the Muslim community as well. It’s not right. We all have to live here in Canada in harmony.”
