It has been one year since Hamas launched a devastating attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Hamas, designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, broke an existing ceasefire deal when they launched the worst attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust. Hamas killed about 1,200 people, including 46 Americans, and took roughly 254 hostages, including 12 Americans, according to the U.S. Department of State.
Sarina Dadoun, senior and President of Chabad MU, recalled the day of the attack, “It was our holiday, so not all of us even knew what happened because we don’t use our phones.” Hamas’ attack on Israel started in the early morning hours of the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah. Dadoun continued, “We all started hearing whispers and one of my friends came over to tell my parents what she had seen online. It was the most traumatic, worst experience, hearing the brutalities and excessive pain families had to endure over the course of that day is unbearable. For human beings to commit such terrible acts on other human beings is truly heartbreaking.” Dadoun recalls how the local Jewish community felt that day, “I remember the entire community going into a depressive state and no one was really speaking because they didn’t know the extent of the issue. Everyone was waiting for the holiday to end so they can check the news and check on family members in Israel.”
Ziv Cohen, sophomore and Chabad member recalled that day, “Oct. 7, 2023, was exactly a year ago. But since then, everything changed. Everyday that’s passed was Oct. 7. It didn’t change. We still have people in captivity – 101, we don’t know how many of them are living, how they’re doing and what conditions they are in.” Cohen continued, “Oct. 7 last year caught me in the states with seven hours difference in the time zone between Israel and the states. It was 1:00 p.m. in Israel when I woke up, I woke up at 6:00 a.m. Waking up to see my social media, literally, every single post is about Israel’s invasion by 3,000 terrorists and 4,000 rockets launched to Israel. Then I see all the videos, all the tracks with the machine guns of them shooting innocent people, shooting police officers…I saw terrible, terrifying things that I never thought I would see.”
Cohen is from Bat Yam, Israel, and his family was in Israel during the attacks, “[I] spoke to my family as they’re hiding in shelter because of the rockets. I realized that we are in war, that we are attacked and realized that my brothers now are going up to the norwth to help there, because he’s a reserve soldier…I didn’t know which friends of mine went to the battlefield. I didn’t know who was alive, who was not alive. I had a cousin over there who was disconnected from all the networks for more than 25 hours. He, thank God, survived, was in the Nova Festival…he was in the shelter, one of the only survivors in the shelter, he told me the story of how they threw grenades into the shelter, in a place that’s supposed to be safe.” According to the New York Times, roughly 380 people were killed at the Nova Music Festival in southern Israel on Oct. 7.
In the days after the attack last year, the Chabad club partnered with the College Democrats and College Republicans to raise money for United Hatzalah of Israel, a volunteer program providing free medical care across Israel. Together, the clubs raised $625 for the program. One of the consequences of the Oct. 7 attacks has been an increase in anti-Semitic incidents. A report from the Anti-Defamation League found anti-Semitic incidents surged 200% since Oct. 7, 2023. These kinds of incidents make people feel unsafe in their communities.
Dadoun continued, “I feel safe here because I’m surrounded by people who are in agreement of the brutal acts that happened on Oct. 7… my community has primary sources from family members who actually live in Israel who were telling us what was going on.”
President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden honored the victims with a candle lighting ceremony in the White House, followed by a moment of silence. In a statement, published on the White House webpage, President Biden said, “On this day last year, the sun rose on what was supposed to be a joyous Jewish holiday. By sunset, Oct. 7 had become the deadliest day for Jewish people since the Holocaust.”
Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff planted a tree at the Vice President’s residence in Washington, dedicating it to the 1,200 killed on Oct. 7.
Former president Donald Trump visited Ohel Chabad Lubavitch in New York City and prayed for the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza.
