'We're still moving through the pain of what happened'

Across North America, Jews and their allies prepare for a poignant Oct. 7 commemoration

Falling during the Days of Awe, the anniversary of the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust still painfully resonates – and brings people together – around the world

Reporter at The Times of Israel

Illustrative: Family members of hostages held by terror group Hamas in the Gaza Strip lead a crowd at a rally for the captives' release, in Central Park, New York, March 10, 2024. (Luke Tress via JTA)
Illustrative: Family members of hostages held by terror group Hamas in the Gaza Strip lead a crowd at a rally for the captives' release, in Central Park, New York, March 10, 2024. (Luke Tress via JTA)

NEW YORK — This October 7, 1,200 Israeli flags will be planted in a field in Raleigh, North Carolina. Meanwhile, family, friends, and former classmates and teachers will gather at King David High School in Vancouver, Canada, to remember alumnus Ben Mizrachi, who was murdered at the Supernova music festival near Kibbutz Re’im.

The Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) plans to hold over 400 such events across 180 cities to mark one year since Hamas terrorists invaded southern Israel, brutally murdering 1,200 people, most of them civilians, in the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.

Of the 251 hostages Hamas kidnapped to the Gaza Strip that day; 101 remain in captivity, though not all are alive. In addition to sparking the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, the onslaught also triggered an outpouring of antisemitism worldwide. And as federation leaders plan events, they also find themselves reflecting on how they’ve been personally affected by the past year.

“I have never felt more honored or more privileged to play a role in supporting Jewish communities as this date approaches,” said JFNA executive vice president Shira Hutt. “Many of us are still moving through the pain and trauma of what happened in Israel and how it played out in communities across North America. We are still holding the pain of what happened.”

Hutt, who has worked in Jewish spaces for over 20 years, said she expects that while every community will approach the day somewhat differently, most will lean heavily into rituals such as lighting memorial candles and reciting the traditional Kaddish mourning prayer.

In New York City, home to the largest Jewish community outside of Israel, the UJA-Federation of New York will hold eight events across five boroughs. The marquee event, which will accommodate 5,000 people, will take place in Midtown Manhattan. An overflow site will accommodate 3,000 more, said UJA-Federation of New York CEO Eric Goldstein, who added that the precise locations of the event and overflow site have yet to be disclosed for security reasons.

Goldstein was visiting his daughter and granddaughter in Tel Aviv on October 7 of last year, and so as he puts the finishing touches on the event, memories of that day sit just below the surface.

“It weighs very directly on [my family], on me, and us as a community,” Goldstein said. “The reverberations of the attack continue. The dramatic antisemitism directed at Jews after the attack means it’s more important than ever to maintain and strengthen ties. If there is a small ray of light in all this, it’s that Jews in New York have dramatically reconnected with each other.”

Fear of attacks

Aside from the sorrow, there has also been uncertainty and fear among Jews in the Diaspora. In the immediate aftermath of the attack and before Israel responded to it, anti-Israel protesters around the world took to the streets in droves. In the United States and elsewhere, Jewish students report harassment and intimidation by classmates and faculty as the war drags on; Jewish writers have been blacklisted and berated by anti-Israel activists for having expressed anything other than condemnation for the Jewish state; and Jewish medical professionals say they are being ostracized by peers.

Eric Goldstein, president of the UJA-New York Federation, speaks at the Israel Day Parade in New York City, June 2, 2024. (Courtesy)

“This past year has seen an unprecedented rise in antisemitism, showing us a Canada many of us do not recognize and resulting in an increase of approximately 1,300% in security needs,” said Ezra S. Shanken, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver.

“Yet, amidst the challenges, our community has shown incredible resilience, with more individuals seeking connection and support. Combating hate and ensuring the safety of our community are increasingly critical priorities of our work,” he said.

There was a 63% increase in antisemitic hate crimes from 2022 to 2023, according to the FBI’s annual hate crime statistics for 2023. Although Jews only make up 2% of the US population, antisemitism motivated two-thirds of religious-based hate crimes, according to the report.

“Hate crimes — including antisemitism — started dramatically increasing after the 2016 campaign, with flashpoints like Charlottesville and Pittsburgh and thousands of smaller but still hugely dangerous incidents. And post-October 7, this crisis has expanded in even more dire ways,” Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, said in a statement.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, which is the eve of Rosh Hashanah, the six-story building that houses the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles will be wrapped in the federation logo, with the “A” in the logo represented by a yellow hostage ribbon.

Commemoration plans have been underway for several months, said the federation’s CEO and president Rabbi Noah Farkas. On October 7 it will co-host a program with the Israeli-American Council, Stand With Us, Temple of the Arts and over 60 synagogues at the city’s historic, 2,100-seat Saban Theatre.

The event, which will feature actor and activist Mayim Bialik and over 30 elected officials, is already sold out. However, it will be live-streamed and watch parties are planned at various Hillels and synagogues.

Rabbi Noah Farkas, left, CEO and president of the Jewish Federation of LA, visits ravaged kibbutzim near the Gaza border shortly after the October 7 terror onslaught.

Farkas said the event planners are being careful to keep politics out of the commemoration, as well as anything overtly graphic.

“Survivors can talk about what they felt as they ran, but not what they saw. The emphasis will be on the people and the emotions of that day and the days since,” Farkas said.

That focus on emotions will be the centerpiece of a “Night to Remember,” in Oregon.

Micha Bitton, an Israeli musical performer from one of the Gaza border kibbutzim destroyed during the terror rampage, will be performing and sharing his own personal story during an October 6 event co-sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland, along with 40 other communal organizations.

Whether it’s a memorial flag display in honor of October 7 victims or hearing testimony from Nova Music Festival survivors, federation leaders agree the solemnity of the day must also highlight Jewish solidarity.

“During the past year, I’ve seen the various ways in which Jewish communities across North America have reconnected with Israel as well as with each other. In the face of rising antisemitism and what happened on October 7 there have also been moments of tremendous hope and inspiration,” Hutt said.

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