that Jews represent only 2.6%
of the American population,
but antisemitic acts represent
60% of hate crimes in the U.S.
“I do not have the power
to remain silent in the face
of global digital pogroms,”
he said, describing “double
standards and demonization”
prevalent in today’s public
discourse. “This is what
hatred looks like. But we have
power. This is not the 1930s.
Be vocal. Do not be intimi-
dated,” he urged the audience.
Aya Margalit, an Israeli ele-
mentary school teacher who
has been serving as a shliacha
(Israeli emissary/ambassa-
dor) at Temple Emanu-El in
Dallas, gave heart-rending
descriptions of several hos-
tages — their smiles, their
individual personalities and
family connections. They
were her students, friends,
neighbors and relatives at
Kibbutz Nir Oz, only 2 miles
from the border with Gaza,
along with others she knew
who were captured at the
music festival.
On Oct. 7, she and her
husband began receiving ter-
rifying alerts on a WhatsApp
group from Israel. They
struggled to grasp that their
peaceful community had been
brutally attacked. “I’m sorry if
this is hard for you. I counted
23 people I personally know
including eight children. Keep
them in your hearts,” Margalit
asked the audience.
As individuals left the
Adat Shalom parking lot,
they passed a grassy median
OUR COMMUNITY
continued from page 23
24 | NOVEMBER 16 • 2023
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As each hostage’s
name was read, an
audience member
would stand up
holding their photo.
Audience members listen
to speaker Aya Margalit