ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Hundreds of people gathered tonight at  the vigil that took place at the Temple B`rith Kodesh and overall every one has shared that they’re heartbroken.

Leaders in the community including CEO of the Jewish Federation, Meredith Dragon,gathered with local residents in prayer, song, and expressed deep feelings of sadness over the loss of so many.

“How do I adequately express the anger, upset, devastation, sorrow, fear, and grief? Do I talk about the 260 young people murdered at a simchat torah party? So many of us, me included, know so many who were there and have heard the harrowing stories,” Dragon said.

I stepped in the hallway to speak with those showing support at the vigil. 

 Gal Dimmambro, Director of Jewish Programming with the Jewish Federation, was among many there and she says she got the news in the early hours of the morning and it left her feeling helpless.

“I woke up at 6am, opened my phone and had a barrage of messages, terrible videos, pictures, things that you only see at war,”Dimmambro said.

Ayala Emmett is an Israeli American who is a professor at the University of Rochester says she also woke up to the terrible news at 2 A.M.  through text from family back home. The pain was too much for her to handle.

“I was born and grew up in Israel, I served in the military there and my heart is broken. We have never seen anything like that terrorist attack on the country. This kind of brutality that we have witnessed is indescribable, inhumane, and my heart is broken. the country is traumatized, “Emmett shared.

She says thankfully none of her loved ones were physically harmed but they are all in shock and fear. 

One resident told News 8 that although she is not a part of the Israel community, she felt as though it was her duty to support her neighbors during such a tragic time.