"People bentched Hagomel, cannot remember such a Shabbos"

On Shabbos, in the shadow of the hunt for the terrorist in Tel Aviv: a few hours before Shabbat, the terrorist Nasat Malchem committed a shooting attack at Hasimta pub on Dizengoff Street in Tel Aviv, in which two people were killed and seven others were injured in varying degrees.

Yechezkel Synagogue is the closest (a distance of 4 minutes' walk) to the place of massacre on Dizengoff Street. Rabbi Aryeh Levin, rabbi of the synagogue, said in an interview to Behadrey Haredim, "After the attack, I went to the commander of the Ayalon District in Tel Aviv, Yehuda Dahan, and demanded that security be reinforced in the synagogue, commander Dahan responded to my request, saying that the place will be secured at the highest level with hundreds of police. When members of the shul heard that, they had a sense of relief, but there was still fear and worry."

Rabbi Levin adds: "The prayers and Torah classes were held as usual, even more came to pray than on every Shabbos. Many people told me, 'terrorism cannot defeat us, and shul is the most secure place for a person. There were a few who survived the massacre and bentched Hagomel on Shabbos. But on the streets one could see the difference, fear, anxiety and hysteria. On Friday night, the streets were absolutely empty, I do not ever remember such a Shabbos."

The moments of panic in Tel Aviv

"Some of the mitpalelim who came to shul at start of Shabbos confused and scared, I told them that my grandfather Rabbi Aryeh Levin ("father of prisoners") always used to say that the word 'da'aga' (worry) is composed of four letters Aleph, Gimmel, Daled, Heh, and the letter Beit is missing from the word 'da'aga' to teach you that the letter B represents bitachon (trust in G-d), and when a person has bitachon he does not have concerns, and this reinforced and reassured the congregation," said Rabbi Levin.

The Rabbi also recalled that "Exactly a year ago there was the terrible massacre at Hyper Kosher in France, and it was planned in advance that tomorrow night (Sunday) we will have here in the local shul Yechezkel, a large memorial service in memory of the victims killed in France."

How is the massacre at the Hyper Kosher in France related to you?

"Over the last year the area here has become full of immigrants from France and Italy, many of whom attend the shul, and among them there the families of the victims of the massacre of Hyper Kosher, and it's really 'blood has touched blood'."

24 hours later, what is the situation in the streets?

"People are still shutting themselves in houses, empty streets, but on every street there are dozens of police cars and policemen scattered."

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!