Baltimore Jewish Community rally ahead of one year anniversary of hamas attack

Around 200 people gathered together carrying Israeli flags and posters showing the faces of those who are still in captivity one year after the devastating attacks.

Although this rally reflects on a tragedy, there were no tears, just a sense of pride in supporting Israel from afar.

The purpose of the rally at Wellwood elementary school on Sunday was to honor the memory of more than 1,200 Israelis who have died and to call attention to the over a hundred hostages still held in captivity by Hamas.

Shoshanna Boroosan says she felt it was important for her to do something to show her support for Israel.

“Us all coming together feeling each other’s pain and knowing that I’m not alone in this and that there is other people that are experiencing that and feeling that and that sense of togetherness is just like really comforting," says Shoshanna Boroosan.

Before the rally, there was a one-point seven-mile walk and a seven-point ten-kilometer run for Israel that started and ended at the school.

Mitchell Posner says the large gathering of people is a reflection of the local support in Baltimore, but he wishes there was more.

"Honestly, I would have liked to have seen twice as many people here today because Israel needs everyone of us to support it as strongly as possible in every way possible," says Mitchell Posner.

Others say they are just glad to be able to have a safe gathering to show their solidarity in their community.

“I can be a part of these rallies. I can be a part of these events. I can do my part here to really make an impact even though I’m not there.”

Boroosan says when she thinks back to October seventh of last year, she remembers the feeling of disbelief hearing about the attack.

“I couldn’t imagine the numbers that I was hearing the stories that I was hearing; it was really shocking and it was really scary," says Shoshanna Boroosan.

Jay Bernstein says moving forward he is hoping for a peaceful resolution to the war and the release of the hostages.

“We support Israel, we support the soldiers of the IDF, and we are praying to God, and this is right after Rosh Hasana; we’re praying to God that the war ends, that there is peace for the region, peace in Israel, peace in the entire world," says Bernstein.

Many others feel the same and want the war to end soon.

“My hope is that the terrorist leaders would come out of the rat holes and the tunnels that they spent the dollars that should have been spent on humanitarian aid to their own people would come out with a white flag and say we give up and then we can have peace and justice in the middle east," says Posner.

Officials from the Baltimore Jewish Community say there will be events tomorrow on the anniversary in many Jewish communities throughout the city, but many of the events are private and have not been shared with the public for safety reasons.