Israel’s Transportation Minister Miri Regev has announced the selection of hosts for the country’s official memorial to the victims of Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre. The individuals represent a cross-section of those affected by the tragedy, each bringing a unique perspective to the event.
Hen Zander, who lost her younger sister Noa at the Nova festival massacre near Kibbutz Re’im, will co-host alongside Orin Gantz-Zach, whose daughter Eden was kidnapped from the festival and later murdered in Hamas captivity. Shimon Attias, who lost his niece Amit Buskila at the Nova massacre, will also participate.
Ruti Gringlik, mother of Shauli Gringlik, who fell fighting Hamas terrorists in Gaza, and Yudan Pirt, a member of Kibbutz Kissufim who together with his family survived the massacre, round out the group.
“The choice of Hen, alongside Orin, Shimon, Ruti and Yudan, as the ceremony’s hosts authentically represents the sacred remembrance of those who were massacred, killed, and who suffered heavy losses, alongside the displays of mutual responsibility, heroism and hope,” said Regev.
The ceremony will be filmed in Ofakim and broadcast on Oct. 7 at 9:15 p.m. across various media channels. Regev emphasized that the hosts symbolize a shared aspiration to unite the nation.
“Now is the time to remember and remind, to unite and embrace the entire nation in the official ceremony in the south, where the horrific massacre took place,” Regev stated.
When appointed to oversee the ceremony in mid-August, Regev expressed her commitment to the task, saying, “With seriousness and with a deep sense of mission, I accepted the appointment to lead the state ceremony to mark the anniversary of the terrible massacre on Oct. 7. Just as I led the Independence Day ceremony in the shadow of the war, with all required sensitivity, I also intend to lead the ceremony on Oct. 7.”
As previously reported by JNS, the Israeli government has approved a substantial allocation of resources and initiated comprehensive plans for commemoration events. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposal to dedicate 320 million shekels (approximately $86 million) to memorializing the massacre and the subsequent war has been approved by the Cabinet, underscoring the nation’s commitment to remembrance.
The government press office emphasized the importance of this decision, stating that it “expresses the commitment of the State of Israel to a proper and meaningful commemoration. To this end, considerable resources have been invested in planning and implementation.”
The Israeli Cabinet has decided that while this year’s ceremonies will be held on Oct. 7 itself, as the date is “engraved in the public consciousness in Israel and the world as the day of the terrible massacre,” starting next year it will be held according to the Hebrew calendar.
