Jewish residents pray for Chicago area hostages taken by Hamas
WHEELING, Ill. (CBS) – In the Northwest suburbs, hundreds of people gathered for a prayer vigil on Monday for Jews held captive by Hamas, including a mother and daughter from Evanston believed to be held hostage.
CBS's Charlie De Mar reported from Wheeling.
Some came with their pride draped around their shoulders. Members of the Jewish community came together in Wheeling, turning a hotel ballroom into a place of reflection.
"This is not who humanity is, and this is not what we have to let dominate our lives," said Rabbi Sholom Notik, of Chabad of Riverwoods. "We have to respond with light, with positivity, with good."
Religious leaders chose to send a message of positivity, asking people to complete acts of kindness and service in the days after so much darkness and death in both Israel and Gaza.
"We are all heartbroken," Notik said. "The pain is tremendous and it doesn't go away just because a few days have passed."
The gathering did not focus on politics or policy, just prayer.
But Yinam Cohen, the consul general of Israel to the Midwest, did talk politics.
"We have been in touch with two Chicagoland families whose loved ones have been missing since the terror attack," Cohen said. "Our hope and our demand is that Hamas releases them as soon as possible."
The hostages include mother and daughter Judith and Natalie Rannan. Natalie just graduated from Deerfield High School, the same community where the Goldbergs live.
"We can't imagine what they're going through," said Julianna Goldberg, who attended the vigil. "No one can imagine."
Marla Goldberg added, "It's just heartbreaking that in this environment, in the world that there's so much hatred."