SWFL Rabbi returns from fourth trip to Israel

Thousands of people gathered in prayer, singing and smiling at the Western Wall in Jerusalem.

Rabbi Yitzchok Minkowicz of the Chabad Lubavitch of Southwest Florida has been to Israel four times since the war on Oct. 7 broke out, but this trip, he told WINK News, felt different.for

“This trip, it was like as if October 7 never happened. The streets are full with locals, with tourists. The restaurants are open. The ice cream shops are open,” said Minkowicz. “We decided, OK, we gotta. We wanted to really feel the war.”

At the Israel and Gaza border, the rabbi told WINK he felt it.

Reminders of the massacre, the day Hamas terrorists murdered hundreds of Israelis, are everywhere.

Burnt cars still sit in ruin, families still mourn and soldiers still fight because the war is not over yet.

“We made a barbecue for the soldiers that were coming back, walking back. They were out in Gaza for many, many days,” said Minkowicz. “Every soldier came up to us, literally with tears in their eyes, thanking us for coming.”

But Minkowicz sees the protests and hears the calls for a ceasefire, so WINK News reporter Claire Galt asked the rabbi, “Does he see an end to this war?”

“Everybody wants a ceasefire, but you cannot have a ceasefire without the hostages back. Without a secure Israel, the war is still going on. They’re still throwing rockets. Ever since the war, I can’t sleep at night. I’m worried about the Jewish people at large,” said Minkowicz.

So as long as rockets fly, soldiers fight and until every hostage is home, the rabbi told WINK News he will keep making the trip to his holy land.