Organized by Lubavitch Chabad of Illinois in corporation with the Chicago Rabbinical Council, The Jewish Federation and local organizations more than 1000 people from across the community gathered at the Holiday Inn North Shore in Skokie in a beautiful sign of tremendous achdus.

Speakers at the event included Horav Yona Reiss, Av Beth Din of the Chicago Rabbinical Council; Dr. Steve Nasatir, President of the Jewish Federation of Chicago, and Rabbi Meir Moscowitz, Regional Director of Lubavitch Chabad of Illinois.

The program also included Tehillim led by local Rabbanim and showing of the video of Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, Rabbi of Chabad of Poway, who spoke from his hospital bed, describing his experiences in the shooting, and giving tremendous chizuk to all of Klal Yisrael.

Horav Yona Reiss said that we can draw inspiration from the memory of Lori Gilbert-Kaye and those who were wounded during the shooting incident to embody the message broadcast by Rabbi Goldstein that “Am Yisroel Chai” – the Jewish people is alive, and we will continue to grow even stronger and closer to the Almighty, inspired by all those who truly yearn for redemption to this world, by those such as the synagogue worshipers in Poway who draw us closer to redemption through their deeds of peace, love, selflessness and sacrifice. By standing together as a people ready to increase and intensify our devotion to the Torah principles that unite us as a nation, we shall triumph over the forces of hatred and terror.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)