October 7 is not behind us.

It began on that day, but it has not ended. When we commemorate a date in history, it usually means the story has been told. This one is still being written in the lives of those held captive, in the hearts of their families, and in the conscience of a world still learning how to respond.

We are living in a Z’man Chai (זְמַן חַי), “a living time.” As Amos Oz said, אנחנו עוד בתוך הסיפור של העם שלנו (Anachnu od b’toch ha-sippur shel ha-am shelanu), meaning “We are still inside the story of our people.” October 7 is not history yet. It is a chapter still being written, and we are part of it.

This page is our reminder that memory alone is not enough. We must carry the story forward with prayer, with courage, and with compassion.

The Ongoing Story

October 7, 2023 – Hamas attacks Israeli communities, killing over 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.

October 7, 2024 – 365 days
101 hostages remain captive. A year after the attack, grief and resolve fill our prayers. Some hostages have come home; others remain missing. Israel and Gaza both bear unbearable loss. Families still search for their loved ones, and while the world struggles to hold compassion for all who suffer, it also struggles to face those who inflict suffering. Communities like ours continue to gather to pray, to learn, and to ask how we live with conscience amid pain.

October 7, 2025 – 731 days
Forty-eight hostages are still being held in Gaza. The war’s destruction, displacement, and heartbreak continue to echo. We remember the dead, we pray for the living, and we commit ourselves to healing and to justice. October 7 is not history yet; it is a living moment we carry forward.

A Living Memorial

In Jewish time, remembrance is not about what has ended; it is about what must not end. We remember to act. We remember to heal. We remember to hope.

On this anniversary, our kahal, our congregation, gathered in prayer and solidarity. During our Sukkot service, Rabbi Aliza led a Mi Shebeirach for those still held in Gaza, a prayer for healing, strength, and return, and sang El Maleh Rachamim for those who were murdered in captivity. The service concluded with Kaddish Yatom for mourners and for all who carry grief in their hearts. Each name was read aloud, the living and the dead, so that every life might be held in prayer and memory.

HaMakom yenachem otam v’yavi’eim l’veitam b’shalom.
(May the Holy One comfort them and bring them home in peace.)