Chicago-area Jews mark the anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel

Sivan Schondorf remembers what Israel looked like before Hamas attacked the country on October 7, 2023.

Just a few months earlier, Schondorf had celebrated her daughter’s Bat Mitzvah there with the family. She returned to Israel in March, months after the attack, on a mission trip to help communities devastated by the attack that killed 1,200 people and took 250 hostage.

The country is not the same and neither are its people, she said. “I can tell you from the before and after that the mood there is completely different, everyone is much more celebratory.”

In the year since the attack, the Jewish community around the world mourned those who died and prayed for the safe return of the remaining hostages. But there was also unity in the mourning, Schondorf added.

That unity was evident Sunday as hundreds gathered in northern suburb Highland Park, home to a large Jewish population, on the eve of the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 attack. The event honored the memory of those killed and called for the release of the approximately 100 hostages still being held by Hamas.

“Even in times of intense sadness and grief, we come together, unite and take great pride in those who protect us and pride in our resilience,” Schondorf said.

The memorial was organized by Shamash, a group of mothers who live in the area and organized vigils in the months after the Hamas attack. Shamash is the Hebrew name for the candle used to light the other candles in a Hanukkah menorah.

Nearly 300 people gathered in remembrance at Port Clinton Square in downtown Highland Park, waving Israeli flags or wearing the blue and white colors. Others wore T-shirts that read “Take them home now” and held photos of hostages. There was a message written on blue tape on the sidewalk that read “365 1 Year!” Several police officers stood guard as speakers addressed the crowd.

Representative Brad Schneider was among the elected officials in attendance.

Clergy led the crowd in prayer. Many in the crowd became emotional at the mention of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, the 23-year-old Israeli-American with Chicago roots who was captured and killed by Hamas.

But there was also a glimmer of hope during the memorial service. The crowd gathered to sing “One Day” by Matisyahu, a Jewish-American reggae singer and rapper. The song conveys a message of resilience and encourages people to believe in a world without violence and war. The lyrics are: “One day, one day we’ll all be free.”

Jim Vondruska/For the Sun-Times

After gathering in the square, the crowd marched a block and a half to the corner of St. Johns and Central avenues, where there is a makeshift memorial to the victims of the attack. The memorial features artwork by Elisabetta Fear, a Jewish Italian artist who painted portraits of all the hostages held in Gaza, including Goldberg-Polin.

Jorie Sigesmund said the year since the Oct. 7 attacks had been difficult for the Jewish community, saying it had been in a “constant state of trauma” from that day on. But Sigesmund, who is also a member of Shamash, said they would overcome this trauma for the people living in Israel, who have shown resilience and togetherness even in the face of rising anti-Semitism.

Jim Vondruska/For the Sun-Times

“Together we have always been stronger, we will get through this, we have done so for thousands of years, we stand here today and the only way to fight the darkness is with light, and we all know that, whether you are Jewish, whether you are a Muslim, whether you are a Christian, it doesn’t matter, that applies to humanity,” said Sigesmund.

One of the most difficult aspects of the ongoing conflict for Schondorf has been worrying about her family in Israel. She said they were under constant threat of rocket attacks and had to flee to the safety of their homes on multiple occasions.

Schondorf, who comes from a family of Holocaust survivors, said another concern since Oct. 7 has been rising anti-Semitism, which she said is reminiscent of when her grandparents lived in Europe in the 1930s.

“They always warned us. even after they survived and felt free and safe in the United States. They said pay attention to the signs and know when to fight and when to flee,” she said. “Unfortunately we are starting to see some of these signs of the really dangerous blood libels and anti-Semitism rearing their ugly heads again.”

Lori Fink said there have been moments in the last year when she has been “scared to be Jewish” because of the anti-Semitism and misinformation she has seen explode since Oct. 7.

She said the community’s support helped her through those moments. She hopes that the vitriolic discourse surrounding the war can be toned down because in the end everyone is fighting for the same goal.

“Everything feels so divisive, you’re either on this side or that side, but we all want peace,” Fink said.