Tears and Prayers for Jews in America

American Jews prayed and shed tears, and some cried for revenge after Iraq fired missiles at Israel. Many had watched live TV reports in horror, expecting a chemical attack. But after the dust settled today, many rejoiced that the damage wasn’t greater.

First word of the attack came shortly after 7 p.m. EST Thursday, live on the evening news shows. Sirens in the darkness from halfway around the world wailed in American living rooms.

As the missiles approached a Tel Aviv neighborhood and Haifa, TV reporters strapped on gas masks in anticipation that Saddam Hussein was fulfilling his threat to strike Israel with chemical warheads.

Before the attack, some among America’s 6 million Jews approached the threat with gallows humor or with prayers: “T’hilleem negged teeleem” --Hebrew for “Psalms against missiles.”

The jokes ceased after the first bombardment of a major Israeli city since the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

“It was a nightmare, but I spoke to (a friend in) Israel, just this morning. It’ll be all right,” said Ahuva Tal Hollander, a Haifa native who lives in South Orange, N.J.

“A few missiles. . . . It could have been worse. Thank God it wasn’t chemical weapons.”

Residents of a Jewish retirement center in Los Angeles fell silent at first word of Iraq’s Scud missiles falling on cities.

“We don’t know what to think,” said a staff member who requested anonymity because of security fears. “Israel is too hurt, too vulnerable. The Jewish people have been hurt too many times.”

David Bernstein, executive director of the Jewish Federation of Tulsa, Okla., said he was at the federation’s headquarters when his wife telephoned with news of the attack. “My wife called me out of a meeting. ‘David, it’s terrible. They’re attacking Israel,’ she said.”

Those with relatives in Israel spent hours trying to get through by telephone after the Iraqi attack. Attempted calls to Israel increased by 3,000%, said AT&T.;