Elected officials and religious leaders joined hundreds of Jews outside of the Queens Public Library in Kew Gardens for a vigil Monday.

New Yorkers have been showing their support for the Jewish community in the five boroughs and in Israel after a devastating and surprising attack in Israel.

What You Need To Know

  • New Yorkers continue to show their support for the Jewish community after the deadly attack that took place over the weekend
  • Congressional leaders at a vigil Monday outside the Queens Public Library in Kew Gardens promised to fight to secure financial support in Washington for Israel’s war against Hamas
  • Hamas is designated a terror organization by the United States, the European Union and the United Nations
  • Elected leaders at the vigil also promised to work with Washington to bring Americans who are in Israel home, even as airlines cancel trips to and from the nation

“This is about the fact that we deserve in Israel the right to defend ourselves and make sure that the world hears us,” said Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz.

Congressional leaders at Monday’s event promised to fight to secure financial support in Washington for Israel’s war against Hamas, designated a terror organization by the United States, the European Union and the United Nations.

“I stand strongly and loudly and proudly with the people of Israel,” said Queens Rep. Gregory Meeks.

Horrific images continue to flow out of Israel onto the internet showing the magnitude of the violence that took place over the weekend.

State Assemblymember Samuel Berger, who represents Queens, says his relatives in Israel are living moment to moment.

“To my family there, fighting now, be safe,” Berger said.

Meanwhile, Israelis caught between the fighting continue to show public displays of unity, including at a vigil in the settlement of Efrat for an Israeli soldier killed during Saturday’s surprise assault.

Michael Miller also lives in Efrat, located in the West Bank a few miles south of Jerusalem, which was bombarded by missiles Monday.

Miller stepped down from his job as executive vice president and CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York on July 1. He currently is the CEO emeritus of the organization.

“Well you want to interview me,” Miller said. “Interview me while I go into my safe room.”

His safe room, like scores in Israel, are designed to withstand missiles and mortars.

“Above us were rockets that were directed to the area where we are,” Miller said. “The booms might have been either rockets landing or the Iron Dome taking them down out of the sky.”

The Iron Dome is the nation’s defense system that is designed to intercept missiles.

Miller, who splits his time between New York and Israel, says he has spent 40 years building bridges between Israel and other cultures and that will not change. He plans to arrive in New York by the end of the week.

Elected leaders at the vigil also promised to work with Washington to bring Americans who are in Israel home, even as airlines cancel trips to and from the nation.