'Everybody's shaken up,' Prayer vigil unites community amid ongoing Israel-Hamas war

As the Israel-Hamas war rages on, the Town of Innisfil is sending a message to everyone impacted that they are far from alone.

On Monday evening, Chabad Innisfil helped lead a prayer vigil held at Town Hall, with the mayor and council members in attendance.

"This is the most horrific attack on the Jewish people since the events of the Holocaust, and everybody's shaken up because this is not an attack on the State of Israel," said Rabbi Zev Kaplan. "This is an attack on the Jewish people."

In addition to Rabbi Kaplan, the vigil included public remarks from Innisfil Mayor Lynn Dolin, South Simcoe Police Chief John Van Dyke and Barrie Innisfil MPP and Environment Minister Andrea Khanjin, who herself is a member of the local Jewish community.

"I think for us it's important to show as people, as Jews, we need to support one another," Khanjin said. "If you look at the national anthem for Israel…it means hope, and right now it's about giving hope to the community here and to know that we're not alone and that there's no tolerance for Jewish hatred."

A staff member from Khanjin's constituency office is Jewish. Lana Barkan first moved to Canada from Israel 31 years ago Monday and never thought she'd be living through scenes like this after three decades on Canadian soil.

Much of her family remains in Israel.

"We wake up to each and every message, each and every call in the middle of the night, at any time of the day; we don't know what could happen when it could happen," Barkan said.

Music was also included in Monday's vigil, performed by Toronto-based singer Edi Shimonov. The friend of the local rabbi travelled to lend his vocal skills to the service despite losing multiple loved ones in the battle himself.

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His cousin and another family member were killed at the onset of the war when an Israeli music festival was infiltrated. He also lost another friend as well as a former teacher.

"It's hard to sleep; it's hard to think about daily life activities or something," said Shimonov. "We have kids, and my wife and I were scared to send them to school because of the situation. And I can't believe we came to Canada to live a better, peaceful life, and unfortunately, we can feel it here."

While the pain is real for everyone, the rabbi says events like this are important.

"In light of such atrocities, we dare not remain indifferent, and us getting together in solidarity and for reflection and for prayer with our brothers and sisters who are being impacted by this is a moral obligation," said Rabbi Zev Kaplan.