Jewish community reflects on Oct. 7 anniversary with remembrance, grief, and hope
It’s been three years since the Hamas attacks killed approximately 1,200 people and hundreds were taken hostage.
More Stories
Three years after the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel, Jewish communities around the world are gathering to remember those who were killed and honor the lives forever changed by the tragedy.
At the Manes Jewish Community Center in Plainview, formerly known as the Mid-Island Y JCC, community leaders marked the anniversary with a message of remembrance, resilience and hope.
Jewish leaders at the center said Oct. 7, 2023, was the deadliest day for Jewish people since the Holocaust and had a profound impact on Jewish communities worldwide.
The Manes JCC is hosting a commemorative event Wednesday evening, with more than 600 people expected to attend. The featured speaker is Or Levy, a former hostage who survived nearly 500 days in captivity.
"This peace of coming together and being with one another and being proud of who we are and remembering, but also hoping and looking towards a better future and a more peaceful future is core at the center of our remembrance," said Rabbi Debra Bennet.
Leaders noted that a sign once displaying more than 200 hostages now stands as a reminder that all hostages have been accounted for three years after the attacks.
The Manes JCC is also planning to build a permanent memorial honoring the approximately 1,200 people killed on Oct. 7. Organizers say the memorial will serve as a place for reflection, education and hope, while helping preserve the victims' legacies for future generations.
At the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center in Glen Cove, people of different faiths also gathered in solidarity and remembrance.
Among those attending the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center event was Sheikh Musa Drammeh, president of Muslims Israel Dialogue, who said community members from all backgrounds came together to support their Jewish neighbors.
"We're here as New Yorkers, regardless of faith, regardless of nationality, regardless of our ethnicity. We're here to show solidarity to our fellow Jewish neighbors," Drammeh said.
Drammeh said antisemitism has increased since the attacks and continues to affect communities today. He said members of the Muslim community have remained committed to speaking out against hatred and supporting peace.
"Myself and others within the Muslim community have committed to making sure that the world knows what is wrong is wrong," he said.
Community leaders said they hope the anniversary serves not only as a day of mourning, but also as a call for peace and unity.
"Yes, we remember and yes, we mourn, but we also continue to hope, and we also continue to look to a better future and a brighter future and more peaceful future," Bennet said.
