NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — On the anniversary of the October 7 attack in Israel, community members came together to commemorate those who lost their lives and those whose fate is still unknown.
Around 1,200 people were killed in the attack led by Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip, and over 250 people were taken hostage. About 100 hostages are still being held — a third of them are believed to be dead. A year of war has followed with no end in sight.
The event, hosted by the Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville, welcomed around 1,000 people of varying faiths and backgrounds.
“It's an opportunity for us to gather this evening to mourn together, to commemorate together, to cry together, to hold each other, and to envision a brighter, hopeful future,” Rabbi Dan Horwitz said.
Before the ceremony, attendees viewed displays showcasing the physical destruction of the attack along with photographs of those killed and taken hostage. Organizers said the display is a reminder that the victims were human beings who left behind families, friends and lives. Also commemorated in the display were the 12 Druze children who were killed in July when a rocket, believed to have been fired by Hezbollah, landed on a soccer field.
Rabbi Horwitz said because of Israel's small size, and the Jewish people's small population, the ripples of the attack are felt deeply throughout the community, including in Nashville.
He compared it to the game Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.
"Within the Jewish world, you are one step away from somebody who either themselves or one of their loved ones were taken on Oct. 7," he said.
Amid grief, the ceremony's message was one of resilience, community and a promise to never forget what happened.
"Let us commit today, together, on the first anniversary of Oct. 7, that their memory will never fade," Rabbi Yitzchok Tiechtel said.
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-Rebecca Schleicher
