Vigil on Detroit’s riverfront marks the anniversary of the October 7 attack

DETROIT – The mood on the riverfront reflected celebration as many gathered to call for an end to what was happening abroad as Monday marked one year since the Oct. 7 attack in Israel.

Jewish Voice for Peace calls for a withdrawal from Israel and an arms embargo.

Similar events are expected to take place across the U.S., according to Dana Kornberg, an organizer.

The demonstration calling for an end to the war is partly inspired by the High Holiday ritual of Tashlich, an ancient symbolic ceremony described as casting off individual and collective sins.

It is also a time of repair and recommitment, Kornberg said.

“Thinking about repairs will look like this because we look at this as a repair process for the new year — repairing all the damage we have caused,” she said.

To commemorate this moment, people threw rocks into the Detroit River.

The message from the demonstrators is that people should mourn the dead while fighting for the living.

The rally follows a recent pro-Palestine demonstration in downtown Detroit.

In the meantime, ADL Michigan has compiled a list of events also taking place to mark October 7 and its impact on Israel and the Jewish community.