Many New Yorkers are impacted by the Israel-Hamas war on both sides. 

In NY1’s continuing effort to talk to New Yorkers deeply affected by the war, NY1 spoke with a New York City family with a loved one serving in the IDF for the second part of the two-part series.

In part one, NY1 highlighted pro-Palestinian protesters to learn more about who they are and why they’re protesting, including those who want to raise attention to the high death toll in Gaza.

In part two, NY1 takes a closer look at one Jewish family in the city who said their faith isn’t shaken by the protests which they see as being anti-Israel. They also said they have a loved on serving in the IDF, who was compelled to act in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 attacks.

Hindy Poupko comes from a large Jewish family. She grew up being connected to her faith and has strong ties to Israel, including family members living there.

Poupko said Oct. 7 was a harrowing day, and the months since have been difficult. In the aftermath of the attacks, her older brother, Avi, joined the IDF. 

She said she has always admired her brother for being true to himself.

“This is a picture from my wedding, and my brother Avi always led the way for the rest of us. He was always making his own decisions, about where to live, what to do,” Poupko said.

Avi, a former New Yorker who lived in Queens, moved to Israel at 27. 

The 43-year-old lives in an Israeli community called Kfar Adumim with his wife and four children. 

Poupko said she and her family were shocked by his decision to enlist, but they are proud of him for stepping up to the moment.

“When we know that he’s in a dangerous area, we are all kind of holding our breath, and we’re not posting funny pictures about what’s happening here in New York until we hear from him,” Poupko said.  

Avi is a rabbi and part of a special search and rescue unit with the IDF. 

The family is banding together in whatever ways they can to show their support from thousands of miles away.

“When he joined the army, we learned that he was on the northern border, and they were all freezing at night and didn’t have sleeping bags, so now we’re all going on Amazon, and sending sleeping bags, and sending extra blankets, you know, all the stuff you [sort of] see on Facebook became our lives,” Poupko said.

She said the pro-Palestinian protests don’t shake her faith, including language used like the word “genocide.”

According to Poupko, she has faith in her brother and the Israeli military doing all it can to prevent civilian loss of life.

“All the experts that we trust, including the U.S. government and the Biden administration, have said it clearly and unequivocally, that it is not genocide. We believe that that is yet another anti-Jewish, anti-Israel slur,” Poupko said. 

Her brother being in harm’s way is a source of constant stress about the ongoing conflict. Poupko said it is also a reminder about the need to bring home the hostages and achieve a lasting peace.

“We are pained by all loss of life on all sides, mothers and children on all sides,” she said. “We pray that the Palestinian people get leaders that they deserve who will fight for them, who will fight for peace in the region, who will fight for a two-state solution.” 

Poupko works at United Jewish Appeal-Federation New York, a nonprofit organization that works to keep Jewish New Yorkers safe. 

In that capacity, she does have contact with some of the hostage families supporting them. But she spoke to NY1 as part of this story in her personal capacity.