The Adath Israel sanctuary hosted over 650 members and friends of the Cincinnati Jewish community – including hundreds of people watching the livestream – gathered to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on southern Israel.
Speakers at the event included many of the rabbis in Cincinnati including Rabbi Ezra Goldschmiedt, Rabbi Moshe Smolkin, Rabbi Meredith Kahan, Rabbi Sanford Kopnick and Rabbi Austin Zoot.
Numerous elected officials attended the event including, U.S. Rep. Greg Landsman, State Reps. Dani Issacsohn and Sarah Carruthers, City Councilmembers Anna Albi, Seth Walsh, and Mark Jefferys, Country Auditor Jessica Miranda, and representatives of Sen. Sherrod Brown.
The speakers reflected on the brutality of last year’s attack, during which 1,200 people were killed and 250 were taken hostage by Hamas back to Gaza, plunging Israelis and Jews around the world into a near-constant state of shock and mourning.
“One hundred and one hostages, and we will not rest until they are home safely,” said Danielle Minson, the CEO of the Cincinnati Jewish Federation. “We need to be resilient, strong, and we’re going to fall down, and we have to get back up. We have to take it one day at a time.”
“We are reflecting on a year of tragedy not just a day of tragedy,” said Goldschmiedt. “Of the horrors of Oct 7, the plight of the hostages, Israelis who have had to abandon their homes, rocket attacks, and the antisemitism that has emerged all over the world.”
Kopnick and Zoot led the gathered community in a recitation of the Debbie Friedman version of Mishebarach, the prayer for healing.
“We pray that for all those whose lives have been taken, they may rest in peace under the wings of Divine Presence,” said Smolkin.
Hamas’ attack sparked a wider war between Israel and Hamas – and now Israel and Hezbollah – that has brought destruction and displacement to civilians in Israel, Gaza, and Lebanon. Antisemitism around the world has also skyrocketed, with Jewish institutions tightening security and persevering amid vandalism and threats of violence.
The most emotional part of the event was when Holocaust survivors read a letter to the students at the University of Cincinnati.
“The world may have changed, but the poison of antisemitism, sadly, remains constant. Threat.”
“We have found hope where there seem to be none, and we know that you too have the strength to rise above the hatred directed at you. It is important to remain strong in your identity, to be proud of your heritage and to never allow the voices of hate to drown out your own.”
“Don’t be afraid to speak out against injustice, educate others and demand the respect and dignity you deserve. Arm yourself with facts, both historic and of current events during this time of mass disinformation, so that you can speak out with the confidence and strength.”
The three survivors received a standing ovation from the gathered crowd.
During this difficult year, American Jews embarked on a massive fundraising and volunteer campaign to assist Israelis. Several Cincinnati Jews have traveled to Israel to help the agriculture industry by picking and packing food, while also preparing supplies for Israeli soldiers.
The Jewish Federation of Cincinnati has raised over $4 million in Israel aid, part of a total $833 million raised by the Jewish Federations of North America, the umbrella group for local federations.
Despite many Jews hoping that the aftermath of Oct. 7 would be over in a few months, one year later it feels like little has changed.
Hamas has been degraded after extensive fighting with Israel, and a hostage deal in November 2023 saw the terrorist group release 105 people. But Hamas is still entrenched in Gaza while holding onto 101 hostages – many of whom are feared to be dead.
Hamas has rejected numerous hostage and ceasefire deals over the past year, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is accused by Israeli hostage families, heads of the Israel Defense Forces, and security agencies alike of sabotaging hostage negotiations to protect his extremist right-wing government.
Netanyahu, the Israeli government, and the IDF have yet to outline or commit to a post-war plan for Gaza that does not involve continued Israeli entrenchment and control of the area. Meanwhile, the Israeli economy is in crisis, and Israelis are perhaps more divided than ever.
It’s difficult to maintain a sense of hope but the determination of Zahava Rendler lifted the spirit of the gathered crowd.
“Keep shining your light, and do not let the darkness of hatred dim your brilliance,” she said.
The Oct. 7 commemoration was co-sponsored by roughly 30 Jewish organizations, including local synagogues across denominations, the Mayerson Jewish Community Center, the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati, the Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati, Cincy Jewfolk, and others.
This year’s commemoration comes at a unique time: The secular anniversary of Oct. 7 lands squarely between Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, and Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, during the period of the high holidays.
The Jewish calendar anniversary of Oct. 7, meanwhile, comes later this month on the joint holiday of Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah – considered to be among the most joyful Jewish holidays. Simchat Torah literally means “joy of Torah,” when congregations dance with and celebrate the scrolls at the heart of Jewish life.
Israelis have made a conscious effort to remember the Hamas attack by its secular date, so as not to taint the joyful holidays with mourning.
But the Jewish anniversary still resonates with many, leading congregations to have a careful balancing act between the high holidays and Oct. 7 commemoration this year.
“I was sitting here in services last week at Rosh Hashanah services, when Rabbi Smolkin reminded us that when we fall down we must get up, this also speaks to our resiliency,” said Minson. “It has been a challenging journey and we are still in it and we are resilient.”
