Israel-Hamas war: Philadelphia parents wait for teen son to return home after studying in Israel
PHILADELPHIA - Two Philadelphia parents were deeply concerned after learning their Jewish son was stuck in Israel studying abroad during the recent violent attacks.
Jennifer and Lonny Weiner’s eldest son Jacob was studying abroad in Israel when his trimester-long program ended abruptly because of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
"He goes to a Jewish day school and they take their 11th grade class to Israel in the fall, each fall and he was so excited to go." said Jennifer Weiner.
At around 4 a.m., the parents received a devastating call from Jacob who let them know he was in the middle of the war.
"Honestly, we turned into a pile of jelly." said Lonny Weiner, "It was just…our sleep was over."
The two had just returned from Israel last Friday after visiting Jacob, but they had no idea what the next day would bring.
"There was nothing indicating what was gonna happen in the next 24-hours," said Lonny.
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"It was such a joyful time to be in Israel," said Jennifer. "On Thursday night before we flew out, we sat and watched the sunset with thousands of people that just sat."
Jennifer and Lonny explained just how shocked they were to find out places and landmarks they had visited in Israel last year, were now destroyed.
The Weiners told FOX 29’s Shaynah Ferreira, arrangements are being made for their son to come home soon, but they are still on edge after knowing what he experienced.
"We can’t wait to have Jacob back in our arms soon," said the mom.
The family mentioned the 16-year-old is proud to represent his Jewish heritage and religion. They now call him an activist after he has been continuously using his voice on social media to bring awareness to the reality of the situation he’s now lived in.
In a video Jacob posted to his Instagram, he targets congress and asks them to help support Israel.
"We're scared because we've just been told to fill up our water bottles and make sure we have enough medicine and food to spend a three-day period in a bomb shelter," said Jacob. "We really need you to support Israel publicly and repeatedly."
The parents are happy to know their son will be home in due time, but the uncertainty of the war still raises concerns.
"It’s going to be a tough world for these kids and I pray for their safety, I pray for all of the Jewish people. We just wanna be safe," said Jennifer.