When the Temple Israel congregation gathered in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan, a day after a vehicle filled with explosives rammed into their building in an antisemitic terror attack, I and more than 1,000 others joined them virtually.

Together, we welcomed Shabbat, with prayer and songs about light, peace and healing. The familiar words and uplifting melodies brought joy, but there also was a heaviness, a fog of concern and sadness that pervaded the evening.

The following morning, I attended Sabbath services at my own synagogue. There, after security guards scanned us with a hand wand, checked our bags and allowed us inside, we prayed and sang some more. In the pews, flyers detailed how to handle an armed shooter.

Even at a terrifying time, that Shabbat illustrated how tightly knit the Jewish community remains, how our history, prayers, cultural ties and, yes, love for the state of Israel, bind us in a force field of resilience and strength.

But underneath the joy and........

© Newsday