RICHMOND, Va. -- Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin will visit a Richmond synagogue and meet with its rabbi and congregants Monday.
The ceremony at Keneseth Beth Israel on Patterson Avenue is open to members of all faiths who want to show their support.
Rabbi Dovid Asher said he hopes the meeting helps bring some semblance of healing to the community.
“The governor is coming here to reassure us that he has our back, and that he stands with us, and he understands that the loss of life is difficult to fathom,” Asher said.
The rabbi said his congregation is also praying for a former member of their synagogue.
Hersh Goldberg Polin, 23, is believed to be a hostage in Gaza after he was kidnapped at a music festival in Israel on Oct. 7.
As the war between Israel and Hamas enters its second week, more than 4,000 people have been killed since Hamas launched an incursion on Oct. 7.
State Department: 30 Americans dead, 13 missing in Israel-Hamas war
The U.S. State Department says the number of Americans killed since the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas has risen to 30.
“At this time, we can confirm the deaths of 30 U.S. citizens. We extend our deepest condolences to the victims and to the families of all those affected," the State Department said in a statement released Sunday. The U.S. is also aware of 13 missing citizens and has been in contact with their families.
Hamas militants stormed into Israel on Oct. 7 and murdered more than 1,400 Israelis, the vast majority of them civilians. The militants also kidnapped at least 155 people — a number that includes babies and the elderly — and are holding them hostage in Gaza. Their whereabouts are not publicly known, but their families have been urgently pressing for their release.
“The U.S. government is working around the clock to determine their whereabouts and is working with the Israeli government on every aspect of the hostage crisis, including sharing intelligence and deploying experts from across the United States government to advise the Israeli government on hostage recovery efforts,” the statement said.
The Gaza Health Ministry said 2,670 Palestinians have been killed so far.
Scripps News
