A sea of Israeli flags and handmade posters took over the Jewish Community Center in La Jolla Tuesday afternoon as hundreds of supporters gathered there.
“It's like a black hole in your heart,” Sheila Tannenbaum said reacting to the war the broke out in the region this weekend. “You feel this terrible emptiness and void for them. You feel like, how can you help and you feel so powerless.”
Many of those present have friends and family directly impacted by the conflict.
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“I go from anger to tears,” said Rise Etne. “I teach a Chabad at Scripps Ranch, it took me a while to contain myself to go there. It's very hard. It's very hard.”
Etne’s son and his family have been living in Israel. He has since arranged a way out of the country for his wife and daughter but Etne says her son is choosing to stay behind.
“I'm freaked out at all times, my eyes hurt from crying so much, and my heart is breaking,” said Etne. “I walk around wanting to throw up from anxiety and we get through the day.”
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Many others at the vigil had similar stories to tell.
“My 19-year-old granddaughter knows two girls who are missing,” said Jim Farlouy. “My 14-year-old granddaughter has two girls in her class that are murdered.”
Among the attendees was San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria. He condemned what he calls the horrific acts of war.
“We stand unequivocally with the state of Israel and with the Jewish people,” said Gloria.
A rabbi then led the group in an emotional prayer as they leaned on each other for support.
“Support and just be there for other people because we all need support,” said Etne. “And there's nothing else we can do for them right now.”
A pro-Palestinean group held a rally Sunday in Balboa Park to call attention to what they described as injustices carried out over the last 75 years.
