Synagogue marks 100 years amid threats, ‘pangs of loss’
Nearly one year ago, devastating terrorist attacks claimed the lives of roughly 1,200 Israelis—primarily Jews—and about 250 people were abducted by Hamas. Dozens are reportedly still in Hamas captivity .
On the morning of Saturday, Oct. 7—only hours after the attacks—Rabbi David Kaiman delivered an impassioned message at the weekly Shabbat service of Congregation B'nai Israel, which was established in Gainesville 100 years ago this month. "Today, we will remember those who perished at the hands of terrorists who came into their homes," he said. "They were being terrorized in the streets of their own towns [while] going about their business of observing a holiday and Shabbat in a peaceful manner."
Earlier this month, Israeli authorities recovered the bodies of six hostages, including an American citizen, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, who was at a music festival in southern Israel when terrorists breached the border.
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His televised memorial service on Sept. 2 and wave of new headlines brought back to the forefront a tragedy that has remained visceral to American Jews, including in Alachua County.
"We're very sad at the loss of any life," said Kaiman, who has served the largest synagogue in Gainesville for 22 years. "Life is precious to us. Our prayers for peace continue every single day."
A congregation named B'nai Israel, or "children of Israel" in Hebrew, naturally gets linked by locals to events in the Middle East.
"We're connected to Israel in innumerable ways," Kaiman said in an interview. "Almost all of our members have family living in Israel."
In response to recent events, Kaiman has urged his congregation to act through charitable means: "We have sought ways of providing humanitarian relief on both sides of the conflict."
Rising threats
Threats of violence and harassment toward Jewish communities have not been confined to the Mideast region. On Sept. 6, the U.S. Department of Justice announced the arrest of Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, a Pakistani man living in Canada.
Khan had plotted for months to carry out a "mass shooting" at a Jewish community center in Brooklyn, New York. His foiled plot was reportedly timed to the anniversary of last year's attacks and the Jewish high holy days, which this year will be celebrated October 2-25.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland told media Khan had "the stated goal of slaughtering, in the name of ISIS, as many Jewish people as possible."
From the shooting at Tree of Life Congregation in Pittsburgh that claimed 11 lives in 2018, to a terrorist taking four congregants hostage at a Dallas-area synagogue two years ago, threats even in suburbia have been rising.
Kaiman responded to the situation in north Texas with a message to his congregation, summing it up as "our brothers and sisters being imprisoned during Shabbat services."
"We live in a world filled with hate and conspiracy theories," Kaiman told his congregants in an online video after the Texas incident. "The most ancient tropes resurface time and time again in the most heinous ways... Even though the hostages were freed, we all suffered a bit of injury."
The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance defines antisemitism as "a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews," adding that antisemitism has both "rhetorical and physical manifestations."
Linda Maurice, executive director of the Jewish Council of North Central Florida , noted how "anti-Israel demonstrators have made their presence known" at recent Jewish community events, including a Purim festival held at Congregation B'nai Israel on March 24.
Artisans and food vendors came to mark Purim, which commemorates Jews being saved from destruction millennia ago.
"Children wear costumes—like at Halloween—and it is very much a celebration," she said. "Demonstrators at the festival really threw a pall over the event."
Several incidents have also occurred at the University of Florida's two Jewish campus organizations, Chabad UF and UF Hillel.
Last November, Gainesville police arrested Geoffrey Lush, 50, on charges of property damage after vandalism occurred at the Chabad UF Jewish Student Center. The phrases "BURN In Hell," "Child N Murder" and "CHILD MURDERS" had been scrawled on a sign in front of the building.
Alachua County court records from March indicate the court deemed Lush "mentally / physically unable to stand trial." Last week a judge ruled Lush is still unfit for trial, according to WUFT.
Kaiman said that "every week" he hears examples of "hurtful" words and expressions of antisemitism.
The rabbi framed his bewilderment at such hate in personal terms: "Wherever they come from, I wonder, 'Was that really what their mother wanted them to say?'"
Kaiman declined to discuss his congregation's specific security measures, saying, "We take security very seriously at B'nai Israel. Safety is always a concern."
A century of joys, sorrows
Kaiman spoke with Mainstreet from his wood-paneled office featuring bookshelves stocked with Torah commentaries and a prominently displayed shofar. He said the interview fit between two other meetings that day: one regarding the Community Day School that Congregation B'nai Israel operates for children 1 to 4 years old, and the other about the synagogue's 100-year anniversary gala . The Sunday, Sept. 22 celebration will mark a culmination of a series of smaller events over the past nine months.
"As a religious community, we have existed and remained strong through generations," said Kaiman. "This celebration is about Jews who have found their way to Gainesville and are able to express our identity in this community."
Maurice, who works with many local Jewish organizations, called it "an inspiring milestone" and noted that the congregation is bucking national trends.
"At a time when some Jewish communities across the U.S., and the world, are shrinking, [they] are growing and thriving," she said.
The anniversary gathering, to be held at UF Hillel, will feature live music, discussion of the Jewish community's rich local history, and moments of religious observance.
Kaiman said the Jewish community is well-versed in navigating highs and lows.
"Life is full of happiness and sadness," he said. "Every one of us fills our life with happy events—children being born, graduations. At the same time, there isn't a human being who doesn't suffer the pangs of loss, illness, and diseases. That is how life goes."
Kaiman, 69, added with a smile: "Really, the gala is mostly designed for our old timers to share, and for us to celebrate that they're still here and alive."
He emphasized they are committed to participating in the community rather than cowering in fear. The congregation regularly provides meals to St. Francis House, a shelter for people experiencing homelessness. They also collaborate with many groups on charitable efforts, like providing school supplies to Partnership for Strong Families.
"For those of us who are Jewish, we learn how to live in this world openly and proudly," Kaiman said. "We've always felt our role as a religious community has been to represent the kind of place where neighbors take care of neighbors."
