Amidst the usual Tuesday night revelry heard on the streets of College Avenue, the unusual sound of tears were heard during a candlelight vigil organized by student leaders of Chabad Jewish Student Organization this Tuesday night to mourn the brutal deaths of a mother, father and three children, including a 3 month old girl by the hands of terrorists in Itamar, Israel on a Friday night over spring break.

The event, which brought together students from all walks of life in front of Chabad House, brought a glimmer of hope to saddened students on campus. Vice-Presient Danielle Wald spoke of the "need to gather together at times like these and to rededicate ourselves to positive actions and lovingkindness towards each other." She also said that the killers missed three other children who will now be orphans and that “we share in the Fogel children’s pain, because when one is hurting, we’re all hurting; and it’s up to us to take responsibility for their needs financially through the giving of tzedakah (charity).”

$485 was collected at the vigil for the remaining children, with more expected during the next few weeks of collections by the group. Donations can continue to be made via www.chabadnj.org or by mailing to Fogel Family/Chabad, 170 College Ave., New Brunswick, NJ 08901.

The brothers and pledge class of AEPi Fraternity also attended this memorial service in order to show unity and support for the community.

Rabbi Baruch Goodman, Campus Director of Chabad House on campus, commented “the terrorists succeeded, but only in uniting us.  Our response must involve an increase in activities in the realms of goodness and community service, as the Fogel family was dedicated to in every aspect of their lives. Even their choice of where to live, whether their original town in Gush Katif, or in the village of Itamar, was a service to the community - and we all need to recognize their contributions and increase our mitzvahs in their honor and memory.”

Michael Albalah, a Rutgers junior, led the service with a passage from Psalms, and Ben Bouskila, a Rutgers senior and co-president of Chabad, gave a description of the horrible sequence of events that took place in Itamar on that fateful Friday night.

The crowd of students held candles as they listened to the words being spoken. On a regular Tuesday night they come to the Chabad House’s JewCrew Café and enjoy a hot meal, live entertainment and the company of their friends. But this Tuesday night they came together for a different purpose, one which led them to stand united on the streets of College Ave. There they stood in the darkness of the night, but with a determination to show that no matter how dark the world may seem or feel, light is just a single action away.