YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - For Israeli residents in the US - the surprise attacks and kidnappings of residents in that country have been horrifying. 
 
We talk with members of the Youngstown Jewish Federation - who worry about relatives and friends back home.
 
The murders and kidnappings of civilians of all ages from children to teens to the elderly by members of Hamas a Terrorist organization are heartbreaking and alarming for members of the Youngstown Jewish Federation.
 
"When I first saw the alert go off Friday evening it was here we go again, but It was constant, and we all saw the horror and human rights abuses by Saturday morning. The death toll is now over 600 people, children, senior citizens, and young people, at a music festival. This is horrific. This has nothing to do with politics, this is hatred pure and simple," Bonnie Burdman Deutsch Executive Director of Community Relations and Government Affairs, said.
 
There are an estimated 2,000 wounded.
 
Local Israelis worried about family and friends back home say the kidnapping of mothers from babies, of elderly and women to be possibly tortured or held hostage has them worried and shows the lack of Humanity by Hamas.
 
"To see a mother holding her four-year-old daughter in one hand, and her one-year-old son in the other, and holding them together around her, and Hamas taking her from her house and driving off with her, and driving off with other people on motorcycles, golf carts, trucks and driving them to the center of Gaza to the unknown, it's hard for me to express how I felt at the time," Yaaqov Sigler, Assistant Principal at Akiva Academy said. 

"A boyfriend and girlfriend were dancing at a party and they shot everybody at that party. The kids were 16, 17, 20, and 21, and then dragged the girlfriend away on a motorcycle, and drove her to the unknown. The boy is held back. Those pictures can not make any country say hey they deserve that. It's not a war of soldiers against soldiers. It's not even trying to conquer some kind of military base, it's going into the homes of people with drills and hammers, to break down the doors. They burned houses in the streets. The things they did over there it's impossible to say a country deserves something like that. I can not imagine anyone in his right mind will think like that," Sigler emphasized.

This surprise attack reminds me of the surprise attack on Israel by the Arab Coalition 50 years ago during the Yom Kippur war especially for those who survived and served during the war.
 
This attack by air, land and sea took place on the Jewish Sabbath day of rest, and on the last day of Sukkot a seven-day Jewish holiday to remember 40 years in the desert after the Israelites came out of slavery from Egypt and a joyous celebration of the fall harvest. 
 
"A day after and all these reports are coming out and pictures of those who were killed, and what happened and their function and it's heartbreaking because if I don't know someone directly, I know someone who is related to someone who my family is related to. So it's like a ripple effect in the whole community," said Chaya Kessler who served in the IDS during the Yom Kippur war. She had just been released from service but was called back up in the reserve in Intelligence. 
 
She remembers the chaos and frantic feelings of what do we do, where do we go?
 
"All of the terrorists that are out there are still out there, so they can come out of anywhere, and it's a scary proposition. People are scared people are told to stay at home, no go to school, no work, how can you live your life like that,"
 
How do you restore your faith in the government, and your sense of safety, there is a lot of work to do internally to restore the secure feeling of living at the border. How do you get over the fear or PTSD? How do you celebrate without worry?" asked Kessler. 
 
Their fear is that the war will last for a while.
 
I am trying to believe in miracles. ... It's a long road and it has to take its course," Kessler said. 
 
The community was invited to attend a prayer vigil in Liberty at 7:00 pm.