Some 1,194 Israelis were murdered on Oct. 7, a number etched into our collective memory. The Israeli bereaved family is now almost a nation, present in countless homes and too many towns to count. Oct. 7 is not an event from the past but the Israeli present, from which the nation will continue on.
One line on the poster was called "Departure Station Kibbutz Nova Music Festival," while another read, "Hamas UNRWA HQ." By bringing this information to London's commuters, the organizers hoped to raise awareness about the conflict and advocate for the release of hostages still held by Hamas.
Hen Goldstein Almog clings to life. After 51 days in captivity, she faces daily trauma and the loss of her daughter Yam and her husband Nadav, who were murdered before her eyes. 'I still live with the absence of Nadav and Yam, and the loss of our home,' she shares. On her decision to tell her story, she says, 'It's exhausting, but it's very important to me.' From the terror in the shelter to silencing her children in Hamas captivity, she adds: 'We are working on living – the grief and pain are always with us.' She also has a message for those still held hostage in Gaza: 'Your families are fighting like lions for you.'
From mobile pizza ovens for soldiers to ambulances and photography exhibitions, these initiatives serve as living memorials to those who lost their lives on October 7, 2023.
"One year for the survivors carrying wounds, seen and unseen, who will never be the same. And one year of a devastating war," President Biden says. Macron echoes him, decrying "the pain of wounded humanity."
Flags are lowered to half-staff as communities across Israel mark the day that reshaped the nation. “I see determination and hope – the same hope that has sustained the Jewish people throughout history,” Gallant said.
The sticker commemorating the memory of Staff Sergeant Shachaf Nissani, who fell at the Nahal Oz base on October 7, bears her last written words to her friends. Her family and friends are spreading the sticker worldwide, honoring her spirit and radiant smile. 'She was all sunshine,' says her mother. 'She deserves to be seen everywhere.'
Reflecting on a year since October 7 as an Israeli civilian, journalist, and citizen of the world.
One year later, artists like Abby Walla shine a light on the remarkable strength and perseverance of survivors and the power of documentary filmmaking.
