Thanks from rally organizers

On behalf of the grassroots committee that organized the rally for Israel in Creve Coeur on Sunday, Nov. 8, we would like to thank several people.  First and foremost, we want to say a huge thank you to the St. Louis Zionist community. You turned out in huge numbers to show the mainstream established organizations, our community and region, and most importantly, the world, that St. Louis most certainly stands with Israel.  

This support of Israel is critical, as just in the seven days since the rally there have been several terrorist attacks in Israel, including the murders of a father and son in Hebron. We must continue to support peace and love and condemn terror, regardless of where it takes place and who is responsible for it.  

The rally organizers would like to thank our speakers, Missouri State Sen. Jill Schupp, former State Rep. Rick Stream, Rabbi Emeritus Jeffrey Stiffman of Shaare Emeth, Rabbi Ari Kaiman of Congregation B’nai Amoona, Rabbi Moshe Shulman of Young Israel, as well as Kohn’s Kosher Deli & Market, the American Jewish Committee (AJC), all of the people who generously donated money at the rally or through other sources. We are pleased to announce that after paying all rally related expenses (advertising, security, marketing, etc) your generosity raised nearly $1,000. The money raised will be split among three charities:

• United Hatzalah, whose network of more than 2,500 volunteer medics helps save thousands of lives each year across Israel. Often, they are the first responders after a terrorist attack, arriving before Magen David Adom or other medical personnel. 

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• Israel Trauma Coalition (ITC), which creates a continuum of care in the trauma field, response and preparedness, by leveraging diverse resources to initiate, prioritize, and optimize services. The ITC is an initiative of the UJA-Federation of New York. 

• Koby Mandell Foundation, which aims to create a Jewish response to the impact of terror and tragedy— helping bereaved mothers, fathers, widows, orphans and siblings rebuild their lives, and create meaning out of suffering. Programs bridge the isolation children and adults experience after the loss of a loved one. The emotional, physical, and spiritual healing process in our program engenders a support network for grieving families.

The most important question is always “What is next?”  This is where we need your help.  We are dedicated to continuing our grassroots pro-Israel work in the St. Louis community, so what would you like to see next?  Visit our Facebook page, “Rally for Israel STL,” and let us know what you would like to see next.

Thank you once again and Am Yisrael Chai.

Galit Lev-Harir & Mike Minoff

On behalf of the Grassroots Israel Committee