CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — On Tuesday, the war in Israel continues following attacks by the Hamas Militant Group from Gaza.
As is the case with most wars, this affects more than just the people within Israel and Gaza. People in Corpus Christi have family in Israel.
“Every member of the community here is personally affected by this. If it’s not their family it’s their friends,” Corpus Christi resident Nathan Gershon said.
For Gershon, it’s his family directly impacted. His wife was born and raised in Jerusalem.
“I think her first reaction was anger. Why, why again? Why again? When does it stop. The Jewish people in Israel don’t want to kill anyone,” he said.
Gershon is also concerned for his daughter, who lives and was raised in Israel. She lives in the West Bank and goes to college in Jerusalem.
When rockets were first launched on Saturday by the Hamas Militant Group, there was nervousness for Gershon.
“When this happened it was the Sabbath and my daughter is religious, so she wouldn’t answer the phone. So, that was an added built in fear as a parent," he said. "What do you do with that as you’re waiting to find out what’s going on.”
Luckily, his daughter told him she's okay. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) entered her hometown giving her and Gershon a peace of mind.
Although, there’s always that feeling something bad could happen.
“When the Iron Dome intercepts the incoming rockets, you can hear that for 20 plus miles. And, that’s what they hear. They hear those explosions and she said that it was at a rate that she had never heard it before.”
Gershon called his daughter every day and hopes she always has good news. Even through the terror of war, Gershon said his daughter exemplifies what it means to be a part of a community.
"Her soul is strong and she also has a heart for service. She's helping the younger children in her community, calming them down, reading a story," Gershon said. "So, even in the worst of times, We see communities all over the world, they can come together under these awful conditions."
It’s the people of Corpus Christi that have helped to keep his spirits up.
“The outpouring of love from the non-Jewish community here, the overwhelming warmth and support, the texts, the phone calls, the private messages. How are you? How's your daughter? How's your wife? How's your family and that’s Corpus. That is what Corpus is about," Gershon said.
Those people born in Israel have a mandatory military service when they reach a certain age. Gershon said some of his wife’s family are on standby in case they are recalled into active duty.
"She's full of hope and prayer because Israel prevails again and again throughout history," Gershon said.
Over 1,000 people have died in Israel from Hamas attacks. It prompted Israel to declare a war has begun and they retaliated with attacks on Gaza. Over 700 people have died in those attacks.
As has been done across the country, a Prayer Vigil for Peace will be held on Thursday Oct. 12 at the Jewish Community Council. It's located at 750 Everhart Rd. and begins at 6 p.m.
For the latest local news updates, click here, or download the KRIS 6 News App.
