Shalom Baruch, a Jewish cemetery in the Humble area, was honored to welcome guests to unveil its new onsite memorial, the first permanent Oct. 7 monument in North America. The event honored the memory of those lost—survivors and hostages—from the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Varda Fields, the Israeli-American founder of Shalom Baruch, opened the program with a moving speech in which she shared the inspiration behind the monument.
“When I moved to the United States nearly 40 years ago, one of the first phrases I learned was ‘Where were you when Kennedy was assassinated?’ It seemed that everyone had an answer—a frozen moment in time that changed them forever.”
She continued: “Fast-forward to Oct. 6, two years ago, late at night—11:30 p.m. in Houston, which was Oct. 7 at 6:30 a.m. in Israel. I got my first video from Israel: a white Toyota truck flying a Hamas flag, full of terrorists, driving through an Israeli neighborhood. It was my Kennedy moment. That was the first one, and over the next 24 hours, I had many, many, many more of those Kennedy moments.”
An incredible showing of support came from elected officials representing local, state and national offices. Senior officials from the offices of Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and John Cornyn (R-Texas), as well as Gov. Greg Abbott (R-Texas) and Republican state senator Joan Huffman, read letters of recognition before assisting in the ceremonial unveiling of the 12-foot-tall monument, inspired by the Jewish Star of David.
The monument, conceptualized and designed by the Art Committee: Anat Ronen, Kirsten Coco and Jonathan Dror, will serve as a lasting tribute and a space for reflection, healing and hope.
In addition to the large-scale piece that can be seen and felt through the cemetery, Israeli artist Yaron Bob created a smaller, ribbon-shaped sculpture out of shrapnel recovered from Israeli missiles in Iran. The artist is well known for creating a similar piece that U.S. President Donald Trump gifted to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this summer and a menorah for former President Barack Obama in 2014.
“The Star of David emerging from the ground stands as a symbol of resilience, identity and collective memory,” shared artist Kristen Coco. “It honors those we lost, affirms the strength of Israel and reflects a commitment to rise above hate, together.”
More than 200 community members, civic leaders and faith representatives attended the ceremony. Additional speakers included the Hon. Livia Link-Raviv, consul general of Israel to the Southwest; Rabbi Dan Gordon of Temple Beth Torah; Randi Sonenshein, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League Southwest; Wendy Warren, chief learning and interpretation officer at Holocaust Museum Houston; Steven Plumb and Noah Meicler, board members of Friends of the IDF; Rachel Schneider, regional director of the American Jewish Committee; and Joshua Mitchell-Arbital, regional manager at StandWithUs.
Guests were honored to hear a message of resilience and hope directly from Omer Shem Tov, a former Israeli hostage abducted by Hamas from the Nova Music Festival on Oct. 7, 2023, and held captive in Gaza for 505 days. The Shalum Baruch team honored Omer with the first of what will become an annual recognition, “The Lone Star of Israel Award.”
Middle- and high school students from Emery Weiner School in Houston performed an arrangement of the Shehecheyanu prayer that is meant to showcase gratitude, especially when experiencing something new or special. Guests were encouraged to leave notes in the cemetery’s Jerusalem-inspired Western Wall, with the promise of them being delivered to the real wall when Varda next travels to Israel.
Memorial stones made by adult artists living with intellectual and developmental disabilities through Alexander JFS’ Celebration Company program were given to those in attendance to place at the memorial’s base, following the longstanding Jewish tradition of placing stones on loved ones’ graves.
“Jewish Houstonians and our many allies showed up for us today,” stated Fields. “I can only hope that they continue to speak up against antisemitism and support the Jewish people, and even encourage others around the country and the world to build their own memorials so that we never forget what happened on Oct. 7 and every day thereafter.”
Additional event partners include Israeli American Council, media partner Jewish Herald-Voice and Houston Catering Concepts, which provided bagels and coffee at the post-ceremony reception.
The following elected officials were also in attendance: Houston Comptroller Chris Hollins; Humble City Council Member and Mayor Pro Tem Bruce Davidson; Humble Police Chief Dan Dientek and Lt. Burt; Bellaire Mayor Gus Pappas; Piney Point Mayor Aliza Dutt; and former Harris County Treasurer Orlando Sanchez.
Staff also represented the offices of Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (D-Texas), Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas), Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Texas), Texas Rep. Charles Cunningham, Houston City Council Members Fred Flickinger and Mario Castillo, and Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzales.
The memorial can be visited during the cemetery’s regular hours, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
To learn more about Shalom Baruch and the first permanent memorial in North America, visit: shalombaruch.com.
For media inquiries, contact the Like Minds Communications team at: rosewood@likemindstalk.com.
About Shalom Baruch
Founded by Jess and Varda Fields, Shalom Baruch continues their family’s mission to provide Houstonians with a compassionate, respectful place to lay their loved ones to rest.
Recognizing the need for accessible spaces that honor Jewish traditions, the Fields opened Shalom Baruch at Rosewood, a serene setting designed to uphold every aspect of Jewish custom. Guided by empathy and heritage, Jess and Varda are dedicated to creating a supportive environment where families can find comfort, remembrance and healing during life’s most difficult moments.
