Dutchess County's Jewish community held a prayer vigil Thursday night at a Poughkeepsie synagogue in the aftermath of the Israel-Gaza war.

Congregants at Temple Beth-el said the gathering was to console each other and to pray.

There are about nine synagogues in the county, ranging from Orthodox to Reform, but the congregants said it was important to stand as one.

"The shock, the horror, the tragedies... We really felt the community it's best to come together. When we're together, we're stronger," said Karen Hochhauser, of the Jewish Federation, Dutchess County.

About 400 people attended the event and there was a very heavy police presence both inside and outside the synagogue.