An estimated 3,000 Jewish teenagers, hailing from 30 countries, gathered in Times Square in New York on Saturday night for an annual “Jewish Pride Takeover” Chabad event, including a concert by religious Israeli singer Gad Elbaz.
The event took on special significance this year in light of the ongoing war with Hamas, and the captivity of the 134 hostages held by the terror group in Gaza.
The crowd chanted, “Bring them home!” and was led in the recitation of a psalm by two survivors of the Nova music festival, at which Hamas attackers murdered more than 200 people and raped and kidnapped others.
Teens from Sderot, Be'eri, Ashkelon light havdalah candles
The event took place after the end of Shabbat, and included a special havdalah service, with three Israeli teens representing the communities of Sderot and Be’eri, which were largely destroyed on October 7, and Ashkelon, a southern city that came under heavy rocket bombardment in the early weeks of the war.
The event was one of a steady drumbeat of shows of solidarity in New York and abroad, in contrast to the prevalent anti-Israel demonstrations that continue to take place as the war in Gaza carries on.