Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on April 20, 2024

ISRAELS ATTACK COMES AFTER IRAN LAUNCHED A STRIKE AGAINST THE REGION LAST WEEKEND, MOST OF WHICH WERE IN INTERCEPTED. AND TONIGHT WERE HEARING FROM LEADERS IN THE JEWISH COMMUNITY AND AN IRANIAN AMERICAN WHO ARE SHARING THEIR REACTIONS TO THE ESCALATION OF VIOLENCE IN THE MIDDLE EAST. OUR STEVE KING IS LIVE IN PALM BEACH COUNTY WITH THEIR REACTIONS. STEVE. WELL, I SPOKE WITH RABBIS AT BOCA RATON SYNAGOGUE. I ALSO SPOKE WITH AN IRANIAN AMERICAN WHOS A STATE REPRESENTATIVE HERE IN FLORIDA. AND THEY ALL SAY THEY WANT TO SEE THE VIOLENCE STOP. AND THEY DO NOT WANT TO SEE ANY INNOCENT PEOPLE HARMED. ITS VERY SCARY. I HAVE CHILDREN THAT LIVE IN ISRAEL. AND WHEN YOU HEAR OF AN ATTACK GOING INTO IRAN, YOU KNOW THERES GOING TO BE SOME RETALIATION. AND YOU JUST THINK ABOUT ALL YOUR FAMILY AND YOU THINK ABOUT ALL YOUR FRIENDS THAT ARE IN HARMS WAY. RABBIS JOSH BRODY AND EPHRAIM GOLDBERG AT BOCA RATON SYNAGOGUE REACTING TO THE ESCALATION OF VIOLENCE THATS OUT OF ISRAEL AND IRAN THIS WEEK, THE IRANIAN PEOPLE ARE INNOCENT, JUST LIKE PALESTINIANS. THEYRE INNOCENTS AMONG THEM. AND IF ONE REALLY CARES ABOUT INNOCENT IRANIANS OR INNOCENT PALESTINIANS, WE WOULD LIBERATE THEM FROM THE FORCES AND THE TERROR FROM THE DICTATORSHIPS AND THE DESPOTS WHO ARE RULING OVER THEM. IRAN IS THE EPITOME OF EVIL. IRANIAN AMERICAN ANNA ESKAMANI, A STATE REPRESENTATIVE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA, SAYS SHE HOPES TO SEE PEACE BETWEEN ISRAEL AND IRAN AND SAYS THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN, WHICH RULES THE PEOPLE OF THAT COUNTRY, OPERATES AS IF THEY ARE TERRORISTS. SO SHES NOT SURE HOW PEACE CAN BE ACHIEVED. I KNOW FOR ME ITS SO MANY OTHERS WE WANT TO SEE PEACE. WE WANT TO SEE COOLER HEADS PREVAIL, AND WE WANT TO OF COURSE, REACH TO A POINT WHERE EVERY PERSON HAS HUMAN DIGNITY AND RESPECT AND CAN BE THEMSELVES AND LIVE SECURE AND IN SAFETY. AND SO I DONT HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS TO HOW TO BUILD THAT WORLD. BUT I DO HOPE FOR IT. AND ITS VERY SCARY TO SEE POTENTIAL ESCALATION. BUT IM HOPEFUL. AND COMING UP AT SIX, WERE GOING TO HEAR WHAT THE RABBIS AT BOCA RATON SYNAGOGUE ARE SAYING ABOUT THIS ESCALATION OF VIOLENCE, THE TIMING WITH PASSOVER BEING SO CLOSE

Rabbis, Iranian American Florida lawmaker react to escalation of violence between Israel and Iran

Updated: 6:21 PM EDT Apr 19, 2024

Leaders in the South Florida Jewish community and an Iranian American are sharing their reactions to the escalation of violence in the region between Israel and Iran."It's very scary," Rabbi Josh Broide, the chief rabbi at Boca Raton Synagogue, said. "I have children who live in Israel and when you hear of an attack going into Iran, you know there is going to be some retaliation, you think about your family and all of your friends who are in harms way.""Iran is a nation that is bent on destroying Israel and exterminating the Jewish people," Rabbi Efrem Goldberg said. "They are the biggest snake and the biggest funder of terror around the world, and its not just Israel that is in its target. Its America.""The Iranian people are innocent. Just like Palestinians, there are innocents among them, and if one really cares about innocent Iranians or innocent Palestinians, we would liberate them from the forces and the terror and the dictatorships and the despots who are ruling over them. Iran is the epitome of Israel," Goldberg said. Israel has never done anything to start up with Iran. Israel has never done anything but try to defend itself. Its a liberal democracy in the Middle East that shares the same values as America. It just wants its citizens to be safe and secure. Its never been the aggressor with any of the nations around it, but it will do everything necessary to defend itself."State Rep. Anna Eskamani of Central Florida is an Iranian American."Its been scary to watch. We dont want to see innocent people get harmed in any context, especially when we think about how diverse Florida is, every single one of us have a connection to this part of the world, Eskamani said. I think for all of us we have so many feelings and concerns and fears about what can happen if this continues to become a much larger regional conflict, and so I know for me and so many others, we want to see peace and we want to see cooler heads prevail. ... I have so many friends who are both Jewish and Iranian, so this is a really complicated feeling for so many people, and I do think its important we talk with one another, we share our perspectives, and we really focus on what is that path to peace where everyone can thrive together in harmony." The rabbis at Boca Raton Synagogue are also reacting to the escalation of violence in the Middle East being so close to Passover, especially since part of Passover is reflecting on the ones whove wanted to destroy the Jewish people throughout history."My parents' generation, my generation, my childrens generation, we never had it and it was almost like a fairy tale, Oh, that was history. But no one is trying to hurt us. No one wants to destroy the Jewish people in our day, but all of a sudden Oct. 7 told us and taught us, and we are going to speak about it at our seder, that this is just another chapter in a long book of Jewish history."The synagogue is making reserved seat signs available for Jewish families that say: "Reserved Seat. This seat is reserved at our seder for precious hostages. Seder nights will be days 199 & 200 in captivity. May they come home now! #LetOurPeopleGo" People can pick up these reserved seat signs by visiting BRSonline.org or picking them up in the lobby of Boca Raton Synagogue, located at 7900 N Montoya Circle North in Boca Raton.Stay up-to-date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25 Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.

Leaders in the South Florida Jewish community and an Iranian American are sharing their reactions to the escalation of violence in the region between Israel and Iran.

"It's very scary," Rabbi Josh Broide, the chief rabbi at Boca Raton Synagogue, said. "I have children who live in Israel and when you hear of an attack going into Iran, you know there is going to be some retaliation, you think about your family and all of your friends who are in harms way."

"Iran is a nation that is bent on destroying Israel and exterminating the Jewish people," Rabbi Efrem Goldberg said. "They are the biggest snake and the biggest funder of terror around the world, and its not just Israel that is in its target. Its America."

"The Iranian people are innocent. Just like Palestinians, there are innocents among them, and if one really cares about innocent Iranians or innocent Palestinians, we would liberate them from the forces and the terror and the dictatorships and the despots who are ruling over them. Iran is the epitome of Israel," Goldberg said. Israel has never done anything to start up with Iran. Israel has never done anything but try to defend itself. Its a liberal democracy in the Middle East that shares the same values as America. It just wants its citizens to be safe and secure. Its never been the aggressor with any of the nations around it, but it will do everything necessary to defend itself."

State Rep. Anna Eskamani of Central Florida is an Iranian American.

"Its been scary to watch. We dont want to see innocent people get harmed in any context, especially when we think about how diverse Florida is, every single one of us have a connection to this part of the world, Eskamani said. I think for all of us we have so many feelings and concerns and fears about what can happen if this continues to become a much larger regional conflict, and so I know for me and so many others, we want to see peace and we want to see cooler heads prevail. ... I have so many friends who are both Jewish and Iranian, so this is a really complicated feeling for so many people, and I do think its important we talk with one another, we share our perspectives, and we really focus on what is that path to peace where everyone can thrive together in harmony."

The rabbis at Boca Raton Synagogue are also reacting to the escalation of violence in the Middle East being so close to Passover, especially since part of Passover is reflecting on the ones whove wanted to destroy the Jewish people throughout history.

"My parents' generation, my generation, my childrens generation, we never had it and it was almost like a fairy tale, Oh, that was history. But no one is trying to hurt us. No one wants to destroy the Jewish people in our day, but all of a sudden Oct. 7 told us and taught us, and we are going to speak about it at our seder, that this is just another chapter in a long book of Jewish history."

The synagogue is making reserved seat signs available for Jewish families that say: "Reserved Seat. This seat is reserved at our seder for precious hostages. Seder nights will be days 199 & 200 in captivity. May they come home now! #LetOurPeopleGo"

People can pick up these reserved seat signs by visiting BRSonline.org or picking them up in the lobby of Boca Raton Synagogue, located at 7900 N Montoya Circle North in Boca Raton.

Stay up-to-date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25

Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.

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Florida Rabbis, Iranian American lawmaker react to escalation of violence between Israel and Iran - WPBF West Palm Beach

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