GREENACRES, Fla. — This Thanksgiving, the Jewish community in South Florida is still praying for peace in Israel after more than a year of conflict.
On Wednesday, a ceasefire took effect between Israel and Hezbollah. The U.S. hopes it will be a step toward ending more than a year of fighting.
As the congregation celebrated the holiday together, their minds were on the hostages, including seven Americans being held by Hamas in Gaza.
"It's been very difficult. We never know what's happening," Ira Uffer, president of Temple Beth Tikvah, said.
The conflict is personal for Amy Rose, whose family and friends live in Israel. Never will she forget the images of the hostages being taken almost 14 months ago.
"It was one of the most horrible moments when I woke up that day," she said. "I think we need to keep seeing those images, even if we're taking a little bit of a respite with the holiday."
As the war in Gaza rages on between Israel and Hamas, the Jewish community remains optimistic about a new ceasefire deal with Hezbollah in Lebanon — bringing more peace to northern Israel.
"We see a lot of peace on the horizon. Even though it's not here yet, we can almost feel it starting with the ceasefire," Rose said. "Hopefully we're gonna ... get our hostages home as soon as possible."
The community said they are using Thanksgiving as a day to remain hopeful for peace.
