LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — As war in the Middle East continues, the Jewish community in Southern Nevada is doing what it can to stay safe.

Rabbi Sanford Akselrad said Las Vegas is home to more than 5,000 Israelis, many with personal ties to Israel. He said when war like this happens, it brings up “echoes of the Holocaust,” striking fear from nearly 8,000 miles away.

“That is sad, a 12-year-old in Las Vegas is scared something can happen to him because of what is happening in the Middle East,” Akselrad said.

Askelrad said they are upping their security measures at Ner Tamid.

“The police have been very good in patrolling and even parking cars in our parking lot. We’ve hired extra security and taken some internal measures that I think will make people feel a lot better about what’s going on if that’s possible during this trying time,” he said.

Akselrad said Las Vegas is home to many Holocaust survivors and their descendants, and bloodshed the past week brings up the Holocaust.

Rivka Lagstein, born in Israel, shared this sentiment, “This feels like a second Holocaust. Israel never had anything like that before.”

“We have a saying, every Jew is responsible one for the other and so even though we are proud Americans, we have this tie to Israel that runs deep,” he said.

He encouraged others to educate themselves on the conflict.

“Hamas, in its charter, has called for a jihad, a destruction of Jews, and of Christians. In terms of Israel, they want to wipe Israel off the face of the earth,” Askelrad said.

As for how non-Jewish people can help, he said to simply show support.