‘He was a sweet boy’: Friend of Israel music festival attack encourages solidarity

BOSTON — A somber vigil held in Boston for the thousands of Israeli and Palestinian lives lost since Saturday included personal stories of heartache.

The friend of a young man killed at the Supernova Music Festival near the Israel-Gaza border shared her message with the crowd.

Rakeea Chesick Gordis spoke out on the steps of the Boston Public Library in Copley Square one day after attending the funeral of 22-year-old Ben Mizrachi by zoom.

He was one of more than 250 bodies found on the music festival grounds where Hamas militants ambushed the thousands in attendance.

“He had texted his mom that there was a shooting and that he was going to stay behind with his friend who got shot,” said Chesick Gordis.

Witnesses said Mizrachi used his experience as a medic with the Israeli Defense Forces.

He reportedly tended to some of those who had been wounded before becoming the victim of violence himself.

“He was funny and kind. He was sweet. He was a sweet boy,” she recalled of her childhood friend from Vancouver, Canada. “He was one of those people who everybody loved.”

Chesick Gordis said she’s still processing her grief and allowing herself to feel the raw emotions as they come.

“The only way forward is solidarity. Just remember that everybody’s hurting,” she added.

She said she also has a friend who lives in the Gaza strip whose house was bombed and has since lost cell service.

She and others talked about their experiences as the war between Israel and Hamas approaches its seventh day.

The Israeli military said it is now preparing for a potential ground assault on the Gaza strip.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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