Israel-Hamas War

‘A state of shock': American living in Israel says family ‘stunned' by Hamas attacks

Marc Bergman and his family moved to Jerusalem in 2001, and he said they've never experienced anything like they're going through now

NBC Universal, Inc.

Life in Israel since the Hamas attacks is a matter of being ready to take cover to survive for many, including an American family who's spent more than two decades calling the country their home.

Marc Bergman and his family moved to Jerusalem in 2001, and he said they've never experienced anything like they're going through now.

The wail of sirens has filled the air in Bergman's neighborhood since Saturday's attack by Hamas.

"We're in a state of shock, a lot of us," Bergman told NBC6 on a video call Tuesday.

Bergman, his wife, and his 17-year-old daughter have not ventured outside much since the deadly surprise attacks were launched.

He said they always have to be ready to head to a bomb shelter.

"Of course we're on edge, waiting, praying that hopefully this will end in some way," Bergman said. "We're all stunned. I mean, I've only been here for two and half years and I'm stunned. This is unbelievable."

The Bergman family lives on the third floor of an apartment building, and when the sirens go off, they head for the shelter of their concrete stairwell.

He said on Tuesday morning, he heard something else he normally doesn't: a lot of aircraft overhead. He said they were clearly military jets on the move.

"We hope it ends, and we hope it ends in a way that something like this can never happen again," Bergman said.

Contact Us