Nearly 300,000 people gathered on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., in November 2023, just five weeks after Oct. 7, for the largest pro-Israel rally in history. (Photo credit: Aaron Troodler)
It is a day that is seared into our souls. The horrors of Oct. 7, 2023, left indelible images in our hearts and minds, and the sickening feeling we experienced on that fateful day as we watched our Jewish brothers and sisters, young and old, suffer indescribable and incomprehensible barbarism at the blood-stained hands of Hamas terrorists will remain with us for the rest of our lives.
We will never forget what happened on Oct. 7. The question is, what exactly will we remember?
When we think of Oct. 7, will we remember seeing hundreds of terrified young people fleeing the Nova music festival as terrorists hunted them and murdered about 360 individuals and abducted 44 others?
Will we remember seeing Hamas terrorists overrun several kibbutzim in southern Israel, including Kibbutz Be’eri, Kibbutz Kfar Aza and Kibbutz Nir Oz, forcibly enter people’s homes, burn them to the ground, butcher civilians of all ages in front of their loved ones and take innocent people hostage?
Will we remember seeing the surreal images of thousands of deadly rockets being fired from Gaza into Israeli towns and cities?
Will we remember the abhorrent videos showing jubilant Hamas terrorists taking 251 frightened hostages into Gaza?
There is no shortage of repulsive photos and videos that we could never forget even if we tried.
But what else will we remember from Oct. 7?
Aaron Troodler
For me, amid all the darkness and despair, there was something inspiring that emerged from the atrocities of Oct. 7. While the fires in southern Israel were still burning and as we scrambled to ascertain the extent of the catastrophic tragedy that unfolded, something unique was happening simultaneously.
As families grieved their loved ones and others frantically searched for their friends and relatives, desperately hoping that they would be found alive, the Jewish people banded together in the wake of an unspeakable calamity. It was as if we instantly became one cohesive family. Religious and political differences were promptly put aside, and we stood together as one, ready to offer whatever assistance and support was necessary under very stressful and shocking circumstances.
People generously donated much-needed funds and supplies to Israeli communities, families and soldiers. Individuals and families hopped on planes to visit Israel and stand in solidarity with our Israeli brethren. There were huge rallies, weekly marches and ongoing vigils to ensure that the world did not forget the hostages who were being held in inhumane conditions in Gaza and the many victims whose lives were cut short on Oct. 7.
Regrettably, that feeling of cohesion that was so pervasive immediately after the Oct. 7 attack dissipated over time. Our differences reemerged and once again caused fissures in the fabric of Israeli society. What had been an idyllic sense of unity as we supported each other following Oct. 7 was sadly lost.
To me, it was akin to the United States following Sept. 11, 2001, when Americans put their personal and political philosophies on the back burner in order to stand together after the 9/11 attacks. It was wonderful while it lasted, but it proved to be a fleeting feeling that seemed to fade far faster than it should have. One moment there was unity, and the next moment it was gone.
There is no doubt that Israel was strengthened by the solidarity that manifested itself immediately after Oct. 7. And there is also no doubt that the acrimony that once again reared its ugly head shortly thereafter is detrimental to the Jewish state. We would be best served if we put a renewed emphasis on the things that unite us, rather than focusing on the things that divide us.
So, as we mark three years since Oct. 7, we have a lot to remember. We remember the approximately 1,200 men, women and children who were massacred that day. We remember the hostages who lost their lives while in captivity. We remember the brave men and women who died protecting the state of Israel following Oct. 7. We remember the countless families whose lives were shattered when they lost loved ones on Oct. 7 and in the aftermath of that horrific day. And we remember the hostages who were fortunate to ultimately return home, but who have a long and arduous road to recovery ahead of them.
Yet we should also remember the ubiquitous sense of unity that came to define the state of Israel and Jewish communities around the world after Oct. 7. As the Jewish community and the Jewish state continue facing unprecedented challenges on a global scale, it behooves us to remember that it is exceedingly difficult to overcome those existential threats as a fractured community. If there is one lesson that we must hold on to from Oct. 7 and always remember, it is that we are stronger when we stand together.