The Jewish Federations of North America provided $1 million in microgrants to support 400 campus and community events to remember those murdered by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023.
More than 130 Jewish Federations also sponsored gatherings on Monday, the one-year anniversary of the day that 1,200 people were killed and thousands wounded, with some 251 men, women and children taken hostage and dragged back into the Gaza Strip after terrorists breached the border with southern Israel and wreaked havoc.
“One year after the horrible attacks of Oct. 7, the Jewish community and our allies united to reflect on the year we have been through, reaffirm our unwavering solidarity with Israel, and reiterate our commitment to combating antisemitism across North America,” said Shira Hutt, executive vice president of JFNA.
At an outdoor event organized by the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, many participants draped Israeli flags around their shoulders as they paid homage to the dead. During an indoor gathering led by the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, attendees held aloft glowing Stars of David in the darkness. In Portland, Ore., women at one event stood together at a table lighting small candles.
Hutt said that “today has been focused on remembering and honoring the lives lost, the heroes who are serving, and the victims being held hostage by Hamas, but also about our collective resiliency and the strength we draw from one another in these difficult times.”
