Two of Charlotte's largest Jewish congregations held a "Unity Shabbat" Friday evening to support efforts to free the more than 220 people taken hostage during the Hamas attack against Israel on Oct. 7.
The service was held at Temple Israel on Providence Road, and attended by members of the Temple Israel congregation, as well as the congregation of Temple Beth El, and members of the Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte, said Temple Israel's Senior Rabbi Michael Wolk.
Shabbat is the Jewish day of rest, and is observed from sunset Friday through sunset Saturday. At Friday's service, a Shabbat table was set with empty chairs.
"Those chairs represent the people who are not able to celebrate Shabbat with their families for the last three weeks, and including this Shabbat," Wolk said.
Wolk said many people in his congregation have personal ties to people in Israel, including people who have been drafted to the Israeli Defense forces.
He also says one of the Israeli men believed to have been taken hostage in Gaza had been a camp counselor at a Jewish camp attended by kids at Temple Israel.
"He was a counselor to a few of the kids in my congregation," Wolk said.
Temple Israel has been raising money for an Israeli ambulance and first responders service. In addition, the Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte has been raising money for Israeli humanitarian efforts.
Charlotte synagogues and other local Jewish organizations have been on alert for possible threats since the attack by Hamas.
Local Muslim congregations also have been fearful of threats, said Imam John Ederer of the Muslim Community Center in an interview with WFAE.
Earlier this month, the FBI said it arrested a man for emailing threats to the Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte on Oct. 11 and Oct. 13. The threats were deemed not credible, the Jewish Federation said in a statement.
