'Just unimaginable': Windsor Jewish community shocked by attack on Israel

A leader in the Windsor Jewish community says he was shocked to hear of attacks on Israel that left hundreds of people dead and thousands others wounded near the Gaza Strip Saturday morning.

As the executive director of the Windsor Jewish Federation and Community Centre and a veteran of the Israeli army, Dan Brotman, who also holds Israeli citizenship, says he has a very personal connection to the region.

“I was totally shell shocked as were Jews and supporters of Israel all over the world,” says Brotman. “This is just unimaginable. Never in our worst nightmares, could we have imagined that something like this could happen. The images of watching people getting kidnapped, abducted and taken to Gaza missiles falling on communities all over the country.”

Brotman says he’s worried about the impact on the local community.

“So what happened in 2021, is we had a war, we have a very large middle eastern population, and both in Windsor and in Metro Detroit. So whenever the situation gets inflamed in the Middle East, we feel the repercussions here,” says Brotman. “So what I'm asking for with this conflict, because we have a Jewish community and a large Middle Eastern community in our city, let's not have our local politicians get involved in this conflict and further fanned the flames.”

CTV News reached out to Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens and Windsor police for comment.

Brotman says the local Jewish community is hoping for support from police.

“Jewish communities all over North America have asked for increased security,” says Brotman. “Some Jewish community institutions have actually decided to shut at least for the next couple of days.”

Windsor police Service tell AM800 they are giving "special attention" to area community centres and places of worship in the city amid the ongoing violence in the Middle East. Police say while they are aware of the ongoing events, there is currently no specific threats to public safety in Windsor.

So far, Windsor synagogues are remaining open with security measures in place.

Brotman is encouraging residents of the community wishing to express solidarity for Israel to attend an event held by the Jewish Federation of Detroit Monday at 7 p.m.