Orly Aridor did not mince words when talking about the war in Gaza. A native of Israel who lives in Fox Chapel, Aridor called the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas unbelievable, barbaric and horrific.

“What happened there needs to be condemned. That’s what I expect from the people in the community,” Aridor said as she participated in a multifaith and multicommunity gathering Friday at Alle­gheny RiverTrail Park in Aspinwall.

“All my close family lives in Israel,” Aridor said. “My immediate family is OK, but I have friends that have family members that are missing, people who were murdered. I greatly appreciate the support of the community.

“I think the community needs to stand and state clearly this is a horrendous attack and Israel has the right to defend itself. There is nothing that justifies (the attack).”

Prayers and songs and chants of “Am Yisrael Chai,” meaning “The people of Israel live,” could be heard loud and clear from the outdoor area of the park’s main building.

Nava Chernoff of O’Hara, another Israeli immigrant, led the group in the signing of the Israeli anthem “HaTikvah,” the Hope.

She said being a part of the event gave her comfort while mourning those killed in Israel and praying for the injured and the hostages.

“It’s hurtful. It’s a challenge, but we’re strong and we’ll go through it and we’ll win,” she said. “We appreciate the support. For us, mentally, it means the world.”

While people gathered in Aspinwall to pray for Israel, others met Friday in Pittsburgh’s Schenley Plaza for a “Day of Action for Palestine” rally.

Deena Eldaour, an organizer with Students for Justice in Palestine at Pitt, told the crowd that thousands of homes in her Palestinian family’s village have been destroyed by bombing so far. She said Friday’s event was not intended to be a pro-Hamas or pro-violence rally. Rather, she said, it was a call for Israel to stop its military campaign on Palestinians.

Chernoff said people need to be educated about the difference between supporting Hamas and supporting Palestine.

“Perhaps most of the population does not know the Hamas organization is ISIS-like,” said Chernoff. “It was hurtful to see signs in Pittsburgh that are supporting Hamas’ actions. Supporting a cause like the Palestinian’s occupation is understandable and debatable — but supporting terrorist organizations? It’s unacceptable! Hamas uses Gaza’s citizens as a human shield, unlike the Israel Defense Forces, which shields the citizens.

“We must teach that Hamas is not operating on behalf of the Palestinians. Hamas is Iran’s puppet.”

Many attendees held Israeli flags and signs that said “Israel We Stand With You.”

Julie Paris, a 1997 Fox Chapel grad and Mid-Atlantic regional director of the international nonprofit Israeli education organization StandWithUs, talked about the Hamas attack and tried to put it in historical context.

“Another chapter has begun in Jewish history,” Paris said. “Jews have been persecuted for thousands of years. It doesn’t matter if it’s the Philistines, the Romans, the Spanish, the Germans, today we see it’s the Palestinian extremists from Hamas, Hezbollah and Isis. They’re all the same. They all seek the destruction of the Jewish people.

“Things are different today. Things are different because we have our own state and we have our own army to protect ourselves. Oct. 7 is now being called the 9/11 for the Jewish State. This date will forever be stamped in the hearts and minds of our people. … It represents a day when evil came to the doorstep of every Israeli family.”

State Rep. Mandy Steele, D-Fox Chapel, was among the local leaders who attended the gathering.

“I am angered and horrified by the brutal Hamas terrorist attack on Israel,” Steele said. “I mourn the staggering loss of innocent lives that we will continue to see coming out of that region. Rallying the community in these dark moments is so important (and) to rely on the strength of one another in these dark moments is critical.”

Fox Chapel area religious leaders echoed the thoughts of their community members.

“Obviously we’re heartbroken,” said Rabbi Yaier Lehrer, from Adat Shalom Synagogue in Indiana Township. “We’re shocked.”

Lehrer was comforted by the quick swell of support from the community.

“When you hear from people with a short message or a text, it is good to know we are not alone,” Lehrer said.

At the synagogue, members are always aware of security concerns, he said. They are constantly working to upgrade safety.

“Just like in the world at large there are increased concerns, we try to update our systems,” he said.

Police have bolstered patrols in the area near the synagogue and will continue to show an increased presence.

In Fox Chapel, Chief Michael Stevens said his officers are always alert to the possibility of unrest.

“Being that we’re an all residential community, we have a normal amount of officers patrolling,” he said. “There’s no specific detail for what’s going on.”

But, his officers will be on standby for today’s Lower Valley interfaith prayer service and will be driving by the location for extra presence, Stevens said.

Fox Chapel police, along with officers from O’Hara, Allegheny County and Aspinwall were at Allegheny RiverTrail Park.

Some assisted with traffic control while others mingled with attendees.

Aspinwall Police Chief David Nemec said there were no issues.

“It worked out really well,” Nemec said. “(Organizers) kept their plan and everything worked out.”