EVANSTON (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - While the Evanston community celebrates the safe return of a mother and daughter taken hostage in the Middle East for several weeks, the family’s Rabbi says the work is far from over.
Rabbi Meir Hecht of Chabad of Evanston says there’s plenty to celebrate now that Judith and Natalie Raanan are safe.
“We’re also in so much pain with the knowledge of the heart wrenching situation still going on in Israel,” Hecht said. “They’re saying that there’s 242 hostages still in the hands of Hamas, and that includes many children and innocent civilians that were taken from their homes.”
“Painfully, the Raanan family has seven cousins that are being held hostage as we speak. They also have cousins that were viciously murdered on Oct. 7.”
He says their message to those following their story is simple.
“The 242 hostages that are still in the hands of Hamas terrorists are the same as them.”
A fundraiser has been created for the Raanans at judithnatalie.com.
The latest Israel-Hamas war has quickly become the deadliest and most destructive of the five wars fought between the sides since Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in 2007 from the Palestinian Authority.
Since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, Israel has relentlessly pounded the Gaza Strip with airstrikes that have wrought unprecedented destruction, flattening entire neighborhoods.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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