Baltimore-area teens hold candlelight vigil to show solidarity with Israel

OWINGS MILLS -- Teens gathered at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Baltimore to find a sense of community in the midst of the ongoing Hamas-Israel conflict on Thursday.

The candlelight vigil started at 8 p.m. at the Plant and Davison Families Athletic Complex.

"This is a really difficult time for everyone involved in the conflict and this is just a great way for all of us to come together and lean on each other," explained 4Front Advisory Board member, Cora. 

The organization offers resources and tools to help support Jewish teens. 

During the one-hour-long gathering, people prayed, sang and shared stories in an effort to show solidarity with Israel.

This included stories of a recent trip to Ashkelon through the 4Front exchange program. 

The coastal city in the Holy Land was the target of a Hamas rocket over the weekend where several structures, including a hospital, had been hit. 

Harrison, another 4Front Advisory Board Member, took part in the exchange program in July. 

"This circumstance is so unprecedented," Harrison said. "The devastation is unlike anything we've ever seen before. Being there, having that connection with one family and with so many people who live in that community, it really hits differently."

While the totality of the devastation is still coming into focus, the teens expressed finding comfort in a common cause. 

"We are praying for peace and a resolution that results in the least amount of bloodshed and innocent lives being lost and that's all we could ever hope for," Cora said.

Prior to the vigil, Baltimore County Police Department spokesperson, Joy Stewart, wrote: 

The Baltimore County Police Department continues to closely monitor all available intelligence and information regarding possible threats related to ongoing events in Israel and the Middle East. At this time, federal Homeland Security advises they have not identified any credible threats of violence focused on targets in the United States. BCoPD is reaching out to leaders of Jewish and Muslim faith communities in the County and providing increased police presence in and around synagogues, mosques, and other Jewish and Muslim institutions. All residents are being urged to report any suspicious activity immediately.

In the event that public gatherings are planned, such as rallies, protests, or vigils, BCoPD will, as always, make every effort to support the organizers and participants to ensure that such gatherings are peaceful, safe, and successful.

In:
• Hamas
• Israel
• Owings Mills