Emotions, Questions Fill Church

GRANADA HILLS — It was the first time they had all been together since a gunmen charged into their school Tuesday, injuring three young boys, a counselor and a receptionist.

And they came in droves.

Wednesday evening, many of the families whose children attend the North Valley Jewish Community Center’s summer day camp gathered at a neighboring Episcopal church to share their experiences and to question authorities about Tuesday’s shootings at the center.

“They came together,” Jeffrey Rouss, executive vice president of the Jewish Community Centers of Greater Los Angeles, said afterward. “This was an affirmation that they were greater than the evil perpetrated upon them.”

The 300 or so who flocked into the sanctuary of St. Andrew and St. Charles Episcopal Church appeared relieved the ordeal was over, but also apprehensive about the future.

“We are concerned about the security of our children,” said Eran Naor, holding his 7-year-old daughter Sara in his arms. “I would like to know when they are starting school on Monday that they will be safe.”

The meeting was scheduled to begin at 6 p.m., but the people kept coming, filling the pews and extra chairs that had been set up in the same space where the preschoolers were taken for safety the day before.

The first emotion the group expressed was thanks to all who had done so much hard work. Parents hugged each other and thanked camp counselors for helping shepherd their children through the day.

There was also thanks given to the Episcopal church for providing a sanctuary, thanks to firefighters for being so prompt, and thanks to the police for securing the area.

But when it came to thanking 27-year-old Amy Grofsky, the director of Camp Valley Chai, the crowd went wild.

“The kids just ran” toward her, Rouss said. “Their feet never even touched the ground. They just wanted to be with her. And then the parents stood up, and they gave her even more applause. They applauded her with love!”

But once the children were taken out of earshot, hustled away to resume talks with trained psychotherapists, the questions began.

Why isn’t there more security? asked one man.

Will there be precautions taken when hundreds of Jews gather in certain buildings for the High Holy Days, asked another?

But most pressing of all was a question asked over and over again by parent after parent, an inquiry that seemed to gain urgency each time they could not get the answer: What really happened?

And what had the children seen? And how should parents deal with the issue? “They wanted to know what to say to their kids,” Rouss said. “How do you tell them that a strange man came for you?”

Rouss said as a result of the meeting a security committee had been formed, and 15 to 20 parents had signed up.