On Tuesday, a rally was held in West Hartford to show solidarity with people in Israel and express hope for the return of the hostages being held by Hamas.
“These people haven’t done anything wrong and they should be home safe with their families,” Laura Barash, from Jewish Hartford Women, said.
More than 130 flags represented those still held in captivity. And this comes just days before the start of Hanukkah.
“Hanukkah is the holiday of light and we are hoping to shine a little light in a really dark period by bringing people together,” Kerry Rausch, from Jewish Hartford Women, said.
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A poster displayed the faces of those taken. One is a family member of friends of Sharon Conway.
“To know there are people for the past two months have been in tunnels under the ground, not seeing daylight, not getting food or water, who are 80 years old without their medication, who aren’t allowed to shower, who have to ask permission to do basic bodily needs, it’s just unfathomable,” Sharon Conway, of West Hartford, said.
Others here also have deep connections to Israel. Noemi Melul had a cousin who safely escaped the music festival where so many were killed or taken.
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“My heart has been aching for the last almost two months. It’s really hard to think about anything else. It’s hard to keep our lives going,” Melul said.
Now there are also gloves attached to the flags. These will eventually be donated to those in need.
