DENVER (KDVR) — A family with ties to Denver is back in the U.S. after leaving their home in Tel Aviv following the deadly Hamas attack.

Jonathan Alden and his wife moved to the city three years ago. 

“We live on the Mediterranean, we eat good food, and we have a nice community,” Alden said. “It’s a very fun city.”

But their world was turned upside down after Hamas militants fired thousands of rockets into Israel on Oct. 7.

“It’s just an endless scroll of dead people. You can just scroll, and it’s just people that are missing, people that are killed,” Alden said. “It’s really horrible.”

Despite the horror and the pain, his community sprang into action. 

“Every grocery store was getting sold out, not necessarily because people were hoarding stuff, but because they’re buying to put into boxes to send to people in need,” Alden said. 

After being in and out of bomb shelters for several days, Alden said they decided to make their way back to the U.S.

“My wife’s five months pregnant, and obviously, it’s not great for a baby and that kind of stress, so we decided to fly her out of the country,” Alden said. 

After escaping Israel, safety in the US is a concern

But even back in the U.S., he said safety is still a concern. 

“I can tell you my work with the JC (American Jewish Committee) and other groups, Jewish students do not feel safe. Jewish people do not feel safe. I’m coming from a war zone, and I feel safer at home than walking down the street here, because that’s allowed to take place,” Alden said.

With continued hate crimes happening in the U.S., Alden said he hopes for a change and eventually a safe return to their home in Israel.

“It’s probably not going to be over for a long time, but the question is: At what point in time is the disruption to day-to-day life over? And I don’t know the answer to that. I’m hopeful it can be in a couple of weeks, but the war might drag on a month or two or longer,” Alden said. “No one knows.”