REPORTER BOB MAYO WITH THEIR MESSAGE IN THIS PITTSBURGH NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE EARLIER THE WEEK THERE WAS ANTI-SEMITIC AND OTHER HATEFUL GRAFFITI. PEOPLE GATHERED ON THIS SATURDAY NIGHT TO SING TO PRAY, AND TO EXPRESS THIS COMMUNITY’S SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL. STANDING TOGETHER, THE AIR FILLED WITH SONG AND SOME PEOPLE SWAYING TOGETHER WITH THE MUSIC. OTHERS HOLDING CANDLES AND GLOW STICKS. THIS EXPRESSION OF FAITH AND UNITY AND AGAINST THE HATE EXPRESSED IN GRAFFITI VANDALS. I’M HERE IN SOMERSET AT FRICK PARK THIS WEEK THAT IN A PLACE OF DARKNESS. WE DON’T FIGHT WITH DARKNESS AND TRY TO CHASE IT AWAY. WE SIMPLY ADD LIGHT IN. THE DARKNESS GOES AWAY. GONE IS THE SHADOW OF THIS WEEK’S HATEFUL GRAFFITI. IN THIS EVENT, ORGANIZED BY A JEWISH OUTREACH ORGANIZATION. AND IT WOULD BE A BEAUTIFUL TIME TO COME IN A COME TOGETHER JEWISH PRIDE AND JEWISH STRENGTH AND TO SHOW EVERYONE THAT WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE LET DOWN BY WHAT’S HAPPENING. IT’S ONLY GOING TO STRENGTHEN US. FAMILY IS ALSO JOINED TOGETHER HERE TO STAND WITH ISRAEL IN THIS TIME OF WAR. I AM HERE TONIGHT IN SUPPORT AND SUPPORT OF ISRAEL BECAUSE I STAND WITH ISRAEL AND WITH WITH EVERYTHING TRAGIC THAT THAT’S GOING ON THERE RIGHT NOW. HERE WE’RE TRYING TO WE’RE TRYING TO PRAY TOGETHER. IT’S A BIG TRAGEDY. BUT WE ARE HERE TO SUPPORT ISRAEL, SUPPORT JEWISH COMMUNITY AND ALSO REMEMBERED IN PRAYERS ARE HOSTAGES CAPTURED AND HELD BY HAMAS TO PRAY FOR FOR ALL THE HOSTAGES TO GET BACK HOME AND FOR AND JUST JUST TO PRAY FOR FOR JUST PEACE IN THE LAND WHILE THERE ARE PEOPLE BEING HELD HOSTAGE. IT AFFECTS US AND WE DON’T KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON WITH THEM. AND WE PRAY AT EVERY MOMENT THAT THEY WILL BE RETURNED SAFELY AND QUICKLY IN SUMMERSET AT FRICK
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Nearly 100 gather in Pittsburgh neighborhood to stand against hate and in support of Israel
Updated: 11:23 AM EST Nov 5, 2023
Nearly 100 members of Pittsburgh’s Jewish community and others gathered in Summerset at Frick Park Saturday night, near where the neighborhood had been tagged with antisemitic and other hateful graffiti this week. They sang, prayed, spoke out against hate and expressed their support for Israel.The air filled with song, and some people swayed together with the music. Others were holding candles or glow sticks. Their expressions of faith and unity were a message against the hate expressed in graffiti vandalism.”In a place of darkness, we don’t fight with darkness and try to chase it away. Simply add light, and the darkness goes away,” said Rabbi Yitzchak Goldwasser, director of Chabad of Greenfield. The Jewish outreach organization organized the event.”It would be a beautiful time to come together with Jewish pride and Jewish strength and to show everyone that we are not going to be let down by what’s happening. It’s only going to strengthen us,” Goldwasser said.Families were among those who joined together to also send a message that they stand with Israel in this time of war.”I am here tonight in support of Israel. Because I stand with Israel, with everything tragic that’s going on there right now. And here we’re trying to pray together,” said Gabriella Balyasny, of Greenfield.Her father, Valeriy Balyasny, said, “It’s a big tragedy, but we are here to support Israel, to support the Jewish community.”Also remembered in prayers at the event were hostages captured and held by Hamas.”While there are people being held hostage, it affects us and we don’t know what’s going on with them. We pray at every moment that they will be returned safely and quickly,” Goldwasser said.Gabriella Balyasny said she was also there “to pray for all the hostages to get back home and to just pray for peace in the land.”
Nearly 100 members of Pittsburgh’s Jewish community and others gathered in Summerset at Frick Park Saturday night, near where the neighborhood had been tagged with antisemitic and other hateful graffiti this week. They sang, prayed, spoke out against hate and expressed their support for Israel.
The air filled with song, and some people swayed together with the music. Others were holding candles or glow sticks. Their expressions of faith and unity were a message against the hate expressed in graffiti vandalism.
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“In a place of darkness, we don’t fight with darkness and try to chase it away. Simply add light, and the darkness goes away,” said Rabbi Yitzchak Goldwasser, director of Chabad of Greenfield. The Jewish outreach organization organized the event.
“It would be a beautiful time to come together with Jewish pride and Jewish strength and to show everyone that we are not going to be let down by what’s happening. It’s only going to strengthen us,” Goldwasser said.
Families were among those who joined together to also send a message that they stand with Israel in this time of war.
“I am here tonight in support of Israel. Because I stand with Israel, with everything tragic that’s going on there right now. And here we’re trying to pray together,” said Gabriella Balyasny, of Greenfield.
Her father, Valeriy Balyasny, said, “It’s a big tragedy, but we are here to support Israel, to support the Jewish community.”
Also remembered in prayers at the event were hostages captured and held by Hamas.
“While there are people being held hostage, it affects us and we don’t know what’s going on with them. We pray at every moment that they will be returned safely and quickly,” Goldwasser said.
Gabriella Balyasny said she was also there “to pray for all the hostages to get back home and to just pray for peace in the land.”