For so many of us in the St. Louis Jewish community, the war in Israel feels personal because of our connection to the Jewish state, as well as having family and friends who live there. We worry about their safety and fear for their well-being.

For Snir Dagan, a native Israeli who currently works as the Israeli engagement coordinator at the Jewish Community Center, the heinous, surprise attack on Israel by Hamas that began Saturday morning is flat out terrifying – it has already claimed the lives of five close friends, and he fears the loss of more.

“I have several friends who are missing and friends of friends who are missing,” said Dagan, 23, whose job at the J is to expose the community to Israel through education, engagement and community building. “I know personally a friend who is a commander in the base that got raided by Hamas in the Gaza perimeter. She is still alive because she wasn’t there at the time, but I’m worried about her, and I’m worried about her friends who are probably being held captive by Hamas in Gaza.”

Dagan explains that his 19-year-old brother was learning to becoming a commander in the Israeli army when he was “jumped up” to serve because of the sudden war. Now he is a combat fighter in the Israel Defense Forces, protecting civilians at a kibbutz in the Gaza perimeter (because of army protocol, Dagan cannot divulge details).

The windows in Dagan’s mother’s home in Rehovot, which he said is about 25 miles from Gaza, were all shattered when a rocket launched by Hamas struck a nearby park and sent debris flying. Luckily, she and Dagan’s brother, 10, and sister, 17, were OK, but they have since left for another home farther away from Gaza in the Arava, near Eilat. Dagan’s parents are divorced but his father also lives in Rehovot and is staying there for the meantime since his bomb shelter is still functioning.

Dagan, who served as a combat sergeant in the IDF, says that while being away from his family and friends in Israel is “nearly impossible,” he is “lifted up” by the St. Louis Jewish community.

“We are also in war mode here and trying to stand in solidarity with Israel,” he said. “The strength and commitment here in the Jewish community hold me together. I am very grateful for the opportunity to be here in such hard times and advocate for Israel and help raise funds and awareness.”

More from local Israelis who call STL home

“Jewish geography” is a phenomenon many St. Louisans have experienced. In Israel, it seems like everyone knows each other or has a close connection. It extends to Israelis living in the United States That’s the perspective of Orly David Peters, one of about 500 Israeli Americans who call St. Louis home.

“The thing about Israel is the country is so small that we know each other,” Peters said. “Everyone knows everyone. And we are trying to be there for each know to talk and check in.”

That familiarity means it’s inevitable that Israelis here have a connection with someone who was kidnapped or killed over the past few days.

“I hosted here two girls from Israeli for two weeks in 2017,” Peters said. “One of the girls is missing — she probably was kidnapped or was killed. We saw her on the news. My son saw her and he said, ‘Oh my G-d, mom, she was in our house.’ And that’s what happens in Israel. You know so many people.”

Orna Bitton Dar, who is also a St. Louis Israeli, said her family has close connections with the IDF.

“We are listening to the Israeli news and see all the stories,” Dar said. “I have five nephews and one niece in the Israeli army right now, three of them next to Gaza. And we all know somebody who’s been killed. There’s a sadness that we didn’t recognize before.

“I have three boys,” she said. “One of them was in an elite unit in Israel in the army. He came back here a few weeks ago to start his life in the states. And he’s devastated. He said his teammate has been killed, and he said, ‘Mom, I want to go to Israel. I can’t sit here and do nothing.’ I don’t want him to go, of course. Not right now.”

Peters’ 19-year-old son Ben recently left St. Louis for Israel, and he is intent on volunteering to help in any way he can.

Both Peters and Dar said members of the St. Louis community, Jews and non-Jews alike, can support their Israeli friends by contributing to Israeli relief via the Jewish Federation and the IAC (Israeli American Council) and through other small but meaningful gestures like posting positive messages on social media.

“Just be there for us,” Dar said. “It’s so nice when we get so many text messages asking us how we feel. That is really comforting to know that we are not alone in this situation. That’s what we need. What is so beautiful about the people in Israel is that you can kill them, but you cannot kill their spirit. They are there for each other, helping to transport people and feeding the soldiers. They put all their political opinion on the side, and they are there for the people of Israel, for each other. So this is beautiful. This is the one thing that may bring a light in this darkness.”

Security on alert here

Over the weekend, Scott Biondo made it a point to visit the Orthodox synagogues in St. Louis to inform them of what was happening in Israel. Because Hamas attacked Israel on Shabbat followed by Simchat Torah on Sunday, he was concerned many in the Orthodox community were unaware of the full scope of death and devastation occurring there.

“We wanted to be able to communicate the situation to them directly,” said Biondo, who is community security director at Jewish Federation of St. Louis. “We always want to make sure everyone is properly informed.”

On Monday, Biondo was shoring up security plans for the St. Louis Solidarity Gathering, planned by Federation, at the Jewish Community Center near Creve Coeur on Wednesday, Oct. 11 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. While he has every reason to believe the gathering will be peaceful, he said he and his security team and local law enforcement always plans for worst-case scenarios.

During the two weeks of military conflict between Israel and Hamas in May 2021, antisemitic incidents in the United States increased by 75% compared to the two weeks before the fighting began, according to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). Now, following Hamas’ attack on Israel, the ADL says the Jewish community in the U.S. is on heightened alert.

“There have been protests (in support of Hamas) in other cities, but so far that has resulted in no credible threats, and I’m not hearing of any credible threats nationwide,” he said. “Of course, we maintain our posture because there is always the possibility of a threat that flies under the radar. We secure for the worst-case scenario anyway when something like this happens — we have to ensure we don’t ever drop our guard.”

Area synagogue responses

Area congregations have been reaching out to their respective communities to share thoughts, plans and hopes following Hamas’ attack on Israel.

Many area rabbis said they were urging their members to support and attend the Solidarity Gathering on Wednesday. Several, like Congregation Shaare Emeth and Temple Israel, are also planning a special “Israel Shabbat” for Friday, to share prayers, as well as communal fears and hopes for Israel.

“For Friday night services we’ll of course be talking about Israel and focusing our service on prayers and songs for Israel to keep them foremost in our thoughts,” said TI’s Rabbi Amy Feder.

The rabbis at Central Reform Congregation will host an in-person event on Tuesday, Oct. 10, at 5:30 p.m. at CRC. Rabbis Susan Talve and Daniel Bogard will host a discussion and give an update on the current situation in Israel. They hope this will be the first of many such community discussions about Israel.

In an email to congregants, United Hebrew Congregation recommended members show their support of Israel by attending the Solidarity Gathering on Wednesday and contributing to Jewish Federation’s Israel Emergency Fund. The congregation also shared a link where doctors, nurses and other medical professionals can learn how to volunteer at Israel’s many hospitals and clinics.

Ellen Futterman, Jordan Palmer and Bill Motchan contributed to this report.