COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Unrest in Israel has people all over the world worried about loved ones in danger. United States officials and Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, among other politicians, have all condemned the attacks against Israel by Hamas.

Jack Chomsky and Susan Gellman live in Tel Aviv, Israel. They moved to Israel in 2020 after spending 39 years in Columbus. Jack was Cantor Emeritus at Congregation Tifereth Israel in Columbus before retiring and moving to Tel Aviv with his wife Susan.

They are surrounded by family and are all safe, but they know many others who have family and friends who are hurt or kidnapped amid terrorist attacks on Israel.

“We woke up at 6:30,” Chomsky said over Zoom Saturday afternoon. “We have on our phones and other devices apps that will tell us if there’s a rocket attack. Which is not usual life but when it happens, they come in spurts, and it started at 6:30 this morning.”

Gellman explained what it’s like living in Tel Aviv during a time of unrest.

Watch the full interview with Jack Chomsky and Susan Gellman in the video below.

“The sirens go off and you have to go to your safe room,” she said. “We have this room right behind Jack’s head, you can see the door closed, and the door’s closed because our grandson is sleeping in there right now. In older buildings, it might be in the basement or there might not be one at all. You may have to go outside to a community shelter.”

The tumultuous relationship between Israel and Palestine has long been politicized all over the world. In this case, Chomsky asked that people remember the people affected, the families who have lost loved ones, and the human beings involved, not the politics.

“In dozens of communities near Gaza, there were terrorists roaming around and the military was nowhere to be found,” he said. “And it seems like there was a great error in terms of military intelligence and preparation, which is shocking because we have a wonderful Army.”

Chomsky also talked about the historical implications of these attacks.

“This is epic,” he said. “Fifty years ago today on the Gregorian calendar, was the Yom Kippur war. And this is possibly as big a mistake in terms of military knowledge as that was.”