BLUE ASH, Ohio -- As millions of Americans get ready to head out of town for the holidays, the U.S. State Department has put out a worldwide alert. Despite the warning, a local man is flying to Israel for a wedding.
It's not just any wedding: Just days before Sarah Tehiya Litman to Ariel Bigel, an Israeli couple, were to be married, terrorists killed Sarah's father and brother.
"The custom is, the Saturday before the wedding, is kind of a get-together of the families. So they were on their way to that on a Friday evening, and terrorists opened up fire on their vehicle," said Leibel Mangel.
The wedding was postponed, but not canceled. Mangel, a Sycamore High School graduate, will be traveling to Israel to show Cincinnati's support.
"First I gave back as a soldier in the Israeli Defense Forces, fighting terrorism face to face, and this is kind of a different side of it -- fighting terrorism by showing our unity, our support for the family," Mangel said.
Thursday's wedding will be held at the largest convention center in Israel, where tens of thousands are expected to celebrate the wedding in direct response to the terrorists attacks that have plagued the area. Mangel said, despite the worldwide travel alert, he is not scared.
"They are well prepared for it and know how to handle it," he said. "So as far as personally, I don't think there are any concerns, and again, if we stop gathering in large crowds and start changing the way we do things in life in general than that's giving in."
Dear Friends,Last Friday, just days before the wedding of Sarah Tehiya Litman to Ariel Bigel, Sarah's father and...
Posted by Chabad Jewish Center on Saturday, November 21, 2015
