JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — This year, the start of the Jewish New Year comes in the wake of Iran's Tuesday night attack against Israel. As one Jacksonville rabbi is preparing for the holiday, he is also checking in with his family w ho are preparing for the potential of future attacks after spending the night in bomb shelter.
At least 180 ballistic missiles were launched from Iran at Israel Tuesday night, the latest in rising tensions in the region. Before Iran's attack, Israel had landed a series of devastating blows against the leadership of Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group based in Lebanon.
Rabbi Shmuli Novack is preparing to celebrate the Jewish New Year. This year, it begins at sunset October 2, just 24 hours after Iran launched at least 180 missiles into Israel.
“Every person in the community knows a family, a friend, a relative, a classmate, someone in Israel," Rabbi Shmuli Novack, with the Finker-Frenkel Chabad Center, said.
Novack’s sister, nephews, nieces and other family members spent the night huddled together in a bomb shelter as missiles rained down from above. He shared a picture with First Coast News of his sister's family eating dinner underground, surrounded by their belongings and concrete walls.
“Getting the messages on WhatsApp from the bomb shelters, the panic the hysteria but thankfully lives were sparred," Novack.
There were no injuries or damage to the Rabbi’s family, but this year he’s sharing the message of unity with the Jewish communities overseas.
“So many are realizing that we have to be there for one another and stand up for each other, Sometimes we have so much hatred and disdain in the community, the social media out there in the world and the first step is for us to come together and to be together, and I think there’s this swelling of Jewish pride," Novack said.
The Rabbi is also planning a commemorative event on the Oct. 7th anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel. An Israeli man who was there when the attack took place, will be flying to Jacksonville to share his story. To register for that event visit the website here.
