SARASOTA, Fla. — As news continues to develop overseas in Israel, gatherings are taking place here in the Bay area.
Tonight, the Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee is holding a "solidarity gathering" at the Sarasota Municipal Auditorium.
Event organizers behind the gathering say the goal is to come together. They say they want to show their support for Israel, mourn the loss of life, and show their solidarity. It comes at a time where even connecting with one’s family overseas is crucial.
Inside the Florida Holocaust Museum, Micahel Igel observes the past.
“We’re surrounded by artifacts that show what happens when people are quiet because they can be or they feel like it doesn’t matter to them,” he said.
A past that many within the Jewish community — like Igel — will not forget. But it’s current events happening overseas in Israel that has Igel drawing parallels.
“Immediately thought about my family," said Igel, board chair of the Florida Holocaust Museum. "There’s a lot of different feelings when something as catastrophic as this, I mean, this is unprecedented.”
Igel has a number of cousins who live in Israel, cousins he’s been in touch with— a little more so recently— after this weekend.
“We were already hearing from one of my cousins that they were still gathering information and we were still gathering information," he said. "The numbers of the dead, even at the beginning, were larger than what we were hearing over here because the news was trickling out faster locally. She made very clear that they were okay and they were safe based on their geographic area.”
Igel said it was a relief to hear from his family members to know that they are safe. But it’s an emotion, he said, many others may not be experiencing.
“I think that’s one of the biggest lessons for today in what’s happening is you have options here as a person. People think this isn’t my problem or this is a Jewish thing. It’s not- it’s a problem for humanity.”
It's something Igel says he hopes everyone can come together for.
“It feels very isolating when things like this happen when you’re a minority," he said. "When I say it’s simple, it might be simple for a person to get in their car and attend, but it is so meaningful for us.”
Spectrum News also spoke to a few members of the Palestinian community in the Bay area. They tell us it’s been just as crucial for them to speak with their family and loved ones overseas, with some finding it more difficult than others to reach them.