LACKAWANNA COUNTY, Pa. — "The situation over the last few days and the situation that will be coming in the next few weeks demands our attention and our attendance," said David Falk of the Jewish Federation of NEPA.
More than 100 people filled the gathering hall of Scranton's Jewish Community Center Monday evening to join together in solidarity after the deadly attacks in Israel.
"The idea of kids at a rave being shot down, going house to house and killing people," said Jeffrey Spitzer of Scranton. "that's what Israel was supposed to prevent and it's happened and it's really just a tragic"
He has been worrying constantly about many of his family members who live in Israel, all of them being exposed to what he says is true horror.
"My family are getting messages from friends all the time of this is a video of my granddaughter who was taken captive, or this is my child who was killed," said Spitzer.
Many local and state officials as well as religious leaders attended the gathering.
The kind of support Lynn Warshawsky says she's been seeing from all over the world.
"People need to support each other right now and people who are in support of Israel it's just it's wonderful and it's all over the world right now. It seems the support for Israel," said Warshawsky.
Despite the tragedy, she says the Jewish community will continue to heal.
"We all may go to different Temples, but we are all one community and when a tragedy like this happens the Jewish people will always come together and continue to support each other," said Warshawsky.