CORRECTION: Due to a reporter’s error, an earlier version of this photo caption misidentified Rabbi Yossi Lipsker of Chabad of the North Shore. The Item regrets the error.
With the Israel-Hamas war continuing to escalate just days after the surprise attacks on Israel during the conclusion of the Jewish Sukkot festival on Saturday, local officials across the region are reacting to the conflict that has shaken the world.
Officials at the state and national level are working with communities and organizations across the state to safely return constituents who are currently in areas that might be affected by the ongoing war.
According to a statement from House Rep. Seth Moulton, his office has been in contact with constituents asking for help fleeing Israel.
“I’ve been in touch with a number of constituents looking for assistance getting out of Israel,” Moulton said. “We recently were in communication with a church group out of Salem that were thankfully able to leave Israel and are making their way back home to the North Shore.”
So far, there have been no known constituents in Moulton’s district that are missing or have been taken hostage by Hamas, according to his office.
He also urged anyone seeking help to call his office for support.
“As this war progresses, I would urge anyone in my district who needs assistance to contact my office,” Moulton said. “It is critical that U.S. citizens in Israel and their loved ones complete the crisis intake form with the State Department and follow along for updates.”
The crisis intake form can be reached at https://cacms.state.gov/s/crisis-intake.
State Rep. Tom Walsh, whose district includes parts of Peabody, said he was “sickened by the atrocities inflicted upon the Israeli people.”
“My heart goes out to our friends and neighbors who have loved ones affected by this terrorist action,” Walsh said. “I join my colleagues in the Massachusetts House of Representatives in condemning this violence and recommitting ourselves to standing against hatred and bigotry.”
The attacks on Israel are particularly close to state Rep. Jenny Armini, whose district includes Marblehead, Swampscott, and parts of Lynn. Armini began her career as a congressional aide working on Middle East policy. Later, she worked as a political researcher for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
“We have to be clear that there is a big difference between terrorism and self-determination,” Armini said. “This was an act of brutal terrorism — not tied to the aspirations of the Palestinian people, but to the raw hatred of Israel and Jews everywhere.”
Multiple town and city boards have also shown their support for Israel in the past few days. The Saugus Board of Selectmen and Lynn City Council both held moments of silence for the Israeli people at their most recent meetings, and multiple members from the Swampscott Select Board released statements in response to the attacks.
“As we all found out this past Saturday, Oct. 7, hundreds of Hamas terrorists — fueled by hatred for Jewish citizens in Israel — attacked innocent children and families with the aim to butcher, kidnap, and murder as many people as possible,” Select Board Chair David Grishman said in a statement released Tuesday. “The Town of Swampscott stands with Israel and all those who fight against hate.”
Swampscott Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald added that “Hamas’ brutality knows no bounds, with reports of Holocaust survivors, innocent men, women, children, and American citizens taken by Hamas militants as hostages or brutally murdered. We are praying for all those who are suffering through this incomprehensible inhumanity.”
State Sen. Brendan Crighton, whose district includes Lynn, Lynnfield, Marblehead, Nahant, Saugus and Swampscott, extended his support to those affected by the war.
“Our hearts go out to Israel and all of those impacted by these horrific terrorist attacks,” Crighton said. “The Massachusetts-Israel bond has remained strong for many years and we must continue to be unequivocally supportive of them during this tragedy and beyond.”
The support for Israel in the area is also extending past government offices and into the community level.
Community members gathered at Congregation Shirat Hayam in Swampscott on Wednesday night in solidarity with Israel. At the event, which was co-hosted by Shirat Hayam and the Jewish Community Center North Shore in Marblehead, attendees showed support and said prayers for the people of Israel, Israeli Defense Forces soldiers, and the region’s own Jewish community, while also remembering the lives lost in the conflict.
Rabbi Michael Ragozin began the ceremony with a Jewish song and prayer before JCC North Shore Executive Director Marty Schneer gave a speech.
Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker and Armini were among the local officials in attendance, as well as Moulton’s Veterans Liaison Steve Bohn.
Daily Item reporter Vishakha Deshpande contributed to this report.
