PENSACOLA, Fla. (WKRG) — Dozens of people gathered Monday night at Pensacola’s iconic Graffiti Bridge to show support for the Jewish community and Israel.
Diana Alethia is a musician, an artist and a proponent of peace.
“I came because I wanted to represent peace, which is what we all want, right?” Alethia said.
She was there along with people who gathered with signs promoting peace and love for Israel, highlighting kidnapped Israelis.
“We can be here in Pensacola, but we can have a major effect on what’s going on in Israel,” Rabbi Mendel Danow said.
As the war rages on, it’s affecting people emotionally here on the other side of the world.
“It’s tragic,” Alethia said. “It’s heartbreaking, and I hate to see people being used to further a cause that isn’t peace.”
The Pensacola Jewish community is feeling the love from people of all walks of life and religions.
“This morning, a neighbor dropped off a big beautiful bouquet of flowers, and he’s not the only one,” Rabbi Danow said. “There have been many people who have called and reached out, emailed, texted, dropped a note, and really, it’s extremely heartwarming.”
For decades, the Graffiti Bridge has served as a place where locals can grieve a loss or show support for a cause.
“The fact that we exist is a miracle from God, so we have to remember that the sheer existence of Jewish people today is directly from God,” Rabbi Danow said. “So we have to storm the heavens and ask God for mercy and when we pray, it has a very strong impact and when we do acts of goodness and kindness, that has an impact.”