PITTSBURGH —
The Jewish community in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood is marking the third anniversary of the October 7 attacks in Israel with a remembrance ceremony at the Jewish Community Center.
The Hamas-led attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, killed around 1,200 people in Israel, most of them civilians, and more than 250 people were taken hostage. The attacks triggered a war between Israel and Hamas, which has since resulted in tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza being killed and millions displaced, creating a humanitarian crisis.
“Remember, be proud, and be hopeful,” said David Knoll, associate vice president of public affairs for the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh.
Knoll noted that the trauma from the attacks continues to affect the community.
“The trauma does not go away after three years. The trauma is there on a daily basis,” he said.
Each year since the attacks, people have gathered worldwide and in Squirrel Hill to honor those killed and taken hostage.
“In Judaism, we don’t harp on our past in terms of the tragedies. We remember them, and we learn from them, and we build on them, but we also look towards the future,” Knoll said. “So we look towards hope and resilience. So the event tonight will be just that. We will learn, and we will cry together, and we will be together as a community. But we will also look forward into the future in terms of hope, resilience, and rebuilding.”
The ceremony will begin at 7 p.m. with speakers and rabbis from several Pittsburgh congregations sharing messages of hope. Following the program, attendees will be led through exhibits including memorial installations and a candle-lighting ceremony, and opportunities to perform acts of kindness in honor of victims of the attacks.
Knoll said the event will also focus on the resilience and pride of Pittsburgh’s Jewish community.
“Since October 7, 2023, the explosion of antisemitism in Pittsburgh has been immense. We can’t sugarcoat it. It’s been bad. Our community has been affected, our children have been affected, our synagogues, our schools, so it’s been tough. But in the face of all of that, the community has shown that they will not go into hiding. They will be proud Jews. They will be proud members of the community,” Knoll said.