The Jewish community in Miami is commemorating the anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attack

A year ago, the terrorist group Hamas launched an attack on Israel across the Gaza border on the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, killing more than 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced retaliatory measures against Hamas and shortly afterwards fired rockets into the Gaza Strip.

In the year since October 7, the conflict in Gaza has continued and escalated, with more than 42,000 Palestinians dead as a result of Israeli actions in the region.

To commemorate the anniversary of October 7, Jewish organizations at Miami University held an event to remember the lives lost and call for the release of the 101 hostages still held by Hamas.

“The aim of this event was to come together not only as a Jewish community, but also as a pro-Israel community, to mark this painful anniversary [in a way] That didn’t depress people… [but] with a sense of pride,” said Matthew Lodge, the president of Students Supporting Israel (SSI) and a senior political scientist.

Lodge said one way to fill the community with pride is to visit the seal, where SSI placed 1,200 Israeli flags that day in honor of the victims.

SSI, Hillel, Chabad and Olami helped organize the event, with representatives from each group speaking to the nearly 200 people in attendance.

Whitney Fisch, Hillel’s executive director, said she hoped the event allowed Jewish students affected by last year’s events to relieve stress.

The University of Miami Police Department monitored the event, which Fisch said was necessary given incidents nearby, including a threat at a Jewish gathering attended by University of Michigan students in Southfield, Michigan.

“Today is really about giving everyone here a sense of belonging and community and maybe taking a deep breath,” said Fisch. “It’s hard to exhale when you have to have a police presence. How can you breathe deeply with this knowledge? [you] As a Jewish student, you can’t really be yourself on a college campus without wondering, “Who will judge me, who will be aggressive?” I hope to give them at least an hour [safety].”

Lindsay Topf, president of Chabad’s Miami chapter, opened the evening with an introduction and urged the Jewish community to remain proud of their faith.

“Profess your Judaism,” Topf said. “Be proud of who you are. Don’t be afraid to be proud of your identity, whether it’s wearing a star, lighting Shabbat candles, or attending religious services.”

Gavriella Bernstein, a junior pre-med and classical studies double major who works with Hillel, spoke next and recited a letter from a Cincinnati resident and a Holocaust survivor.

The letter said recent events have made it clear that despite global changes since World War II, anti-Semitism remains a threat. However, Jews should not be ashamed of their faith and view Judaism as a source of strength rather than weakness.

Bernstein said Miami has supported the Jewish community and made efforts over the past year to minimize anti-Semitism on campus.

Jacob Pinder, Hillel vice president and junior accounting student, said he feels safe on campus, but fear remains given incidents at other schools.

“[I feel] overall safe, but also worried: “Anything can happen,” said Pinder. “We saw what came out of Michigan and other schools like UPenn and Columbia. It creates a lot of fear.”

Hillel’s fellow Israeli Amir Smerling, who served in a reserve battalion deployed after the Oct. 7 attack, spoke next. He encouraged the audience to hold on to the unity they had seen.

“But as the war unfolded and the nation faced a crisis, something remarkable happened,” Smerling said. “After months of division and polarization, the spirit of unity has been rekindled.”

Chabad’s Rabbi Yossi Greenberg then reminded the audience to focus on their strengths and use this night to heal. After his speech, he led a prayer and blessed the future of the Jewish people.

Maya Fridman, president of Miami’s Olami, led another prayer with Olami’s Rabbi Akiva Yanez for the immediate release of the hostages still held by Hamas.

Amanda Myers, Hillel’s president, gave the closing remarks and then everyone mingled. For Pinder, that was the ultimate goal of the day: to remember those who died and to make this a political issue.

“My goal is to remember and not to remember in a political sense,” Pinder said. “I mean a deep, authentic feeling. We lost hundreds of people, and [my goal] The point is not to make this a political discussion, but rather to sincerely remember and mourn the lives we have lost.”

Earlier in the day, students gathered near the Armstrong Student Center to support Palestine. Lodge acknowledged that these students have the right to protest as long as they are respectful.

“You’re welcome to go and protest as long as you don’t inconvenience others,” Lodge said. “Here at Miami University, we don’t let people like that stop us. While I may not agree with these students, I applaud their right to protest as long as they do not hurt or harass anyone.”

Fisch expressed a similar opinion. She said she hoped the conflict could be resolved peacefully and without further unnecessary casualties.

“I think we forget that we can grieve losses, and that can be apolitical,” Fisch said. “We can mourn Palestinian life in Gaza, and that can be apolitical. This is just unnecessary death. I wish we could all exhale, take a deep breath and remember our humanity.”

@thekethan04