In person Oct. 7 & via Zoom with Western Galilee, Israel, Oct. 27

By Marshall Weiss, The Dayton Jewish Observer

The Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton will present two memorial programs to mark one year since the Hamas massacre of Oct. 7: one in person on Oct. 7, the other via Zoom on Oct. 27.

On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists from Gaza infiltrated Israel, murdered 1,200 people there, and took hundreds hostage.

Marking One Year: United in Remembrance
The community will join together with rabbis from local Jewish congregations and the Dayton Jewish Chorale, 5:45 to 7 p.m., Monday, Oct. 7 at the Boonshoft Center for Jewish Culture and Education, for Marking One Year: United in Remembrance.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for an evening prayer service led by Beth Abraham Synagogue. The service will be livestreamed, with the link available at jewishdayton.org and bethabrahamdayton.org.

Leadership of the Jewish Federation, Hillel Academy, Hadassah, and Jewish War Veterans will also participate on the program.

Activities will be available for participants to show their support of friends and family in Israel.

The Boonshoft CJCE is located at 525 Versailles Dr., Centerville.

Registration for this program is required by Oct. 6 at jewishdayton.org/events.

One Partnership, One Heart
The Jewish Agency’s Partnership2Gether program — which connects Dayton and 16 other Jewish communities across the central United States with Budapest, Hungary and Israel’s Western Galilee region — will host a live one-hour Zoom memorial program at 11:30 a.m., Sunday, Oct. 27.

Following opening prayers and a candlelighting ceremony, One Partnership, One Heart will present an in-depth panel discussion with Israelis in the Western Galilee who have been directly impacted by the Hamas massacre.

The panelists are:

• Liat Atzili, who was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz and released. Her husband’s body is still held in Gaza.

• Dubi Ganor, whose son was gravely injured on Oct. 7 and is gradually recovering with the help of his family and community.

• Omri Dagan, whose twin brother was killed on Oct. 7.

• David Vaknin, who was evacuated from Liman in the Western Galilee. He was called up to the IDF reserves and has been deployed to the war in the north ever since.

Participants will be able to submit questions to the panelists upon event registration, at jewishdayton.org/events.

For more information about both commemorations, contact Dayton JCRC Director Jeff Blumer at jblumer@jfgd.net.

Following Israel’s memorial schedule
Earlier this year, Israel’s government selected the 24th of the Hebrew month of Tishri, which coincided with Oct. 7, 2023, as the national remembrance day on which to mark the Hamas massacre each year.

However, because 24 Tishri falls on Shabbat in 2024, Israel has designated the memorial to be held on Sunday, 25 Tishri, which falls this year on Oct. 27. This will be the precedent for future years when 24 Tishri falls on Shabbat.

In addition, Israel’s government has announced it will also hold a state ceremony — on the first anniversary only — on Oct. 7, the civil calendar date “of the brutal terrorist assault, which has been etched in the consciousness of people in Israel and around the world.”

To read the complete October 2024 Dayton Jewish Observer, click here.