Remembering the Lives Lost October 7, 2023—May Their Memories Be a Blessing
Did you pause at any time during the last few days and remember the victims of October 7, 2023? I don’t ask to peddle Jewish guilt, but because I feel it’s so important. Not only if you are Jewish, but human. What happened is incomprehensible, and the fact that a year later, hostages remain in Gaza and no one is certain if any are alive, especially their families, is unconscionable. The unimaginable details: 1,200 murdered, thousands more wounded, and 251 hostages kidnapped in the largest massacre of Jews in a single day since the Holocaust. 101 hostages remain captive, although not all are alive. Using dead bodies as a bargaining chip—they have no shame.
To put numbers into perspective, if compared with the analogous impact on the US, it would be as if 43,900 US citizens were killed. According to Dov Waxman, University of California, Los Angeles and director of the UCLA Center for Israel Studies, it’s the equivalent of if Israel had 3 simultaneous 9/11’s.
As I listened online to several October 7th commemorations and news reports, the consistency of tears and trauma was palpable a year later. Families weeping and clinging to the pictures of their loved ones either murdered or held captive is a scene not to be forgotten. I could only hope that the hostages somehow could feel the love and unceasing actions to try to get them released. Not only by their relatives, but their nation, the diaspora, and I’m sure others throughout the world.
As for me, thankfully I had my box of tissues close at hand. As a parent, listening to the stories of their murdered children, or those who remained hostages, not knowing whether their loved ones were alive or dead was hard, but a drop in the bucket compared to their misery.
There were so many stories of brave Israelis looking out for others, repeatedly rescuing friends or strangers, and going back continually to bring more to safety, only to eventually be murdered in their last attempt to save people from the killing fields.
I chose to stay home and watch many commemorative ceremonies from all over the world rather than attend one in person. This was a benefit, but in truth I was also scared. The warnings from the FBI and Homeland Security stating that there was a high threat of terror attacks October 7, 2024, and during the High Holy days, made me pause. Is this the best we could do in the United States to protect its citizens in 2024?
With the explosion of antisemitism, CEO and National Director of the Anti-Defamation League Jonathan Greenblatt stated that there were over 10,000 antisemitic incidents in the US since Hamas’ October 7 attack in Israel. Antisemitic acts are up 200% from the prior year. FBI Christopher Wray acknowledged that Jews are only 2.4 percent of the US population but bear 60% of the hate crimes. There are some competitions one would prefer not to win.
Greenblatt continued. “If we’re not safe on the campuses where we learn, in the places where we work, in the synagogues where we pray, where are we actually safe?”
As I documented in my Times of Israel Blog, As Our American K-12 Children Return to School—What Hell Awaits Them? From our little Jewish kindergarten shayna punims (pretty faces), to college campuses, and Jewish adults inflaming the world by wearing a yarmulke (little round cap), Jews are targets. Could you imagine the uproar if black children were being called the n-word instead of “dirty Jew,” in the hallways at school, or the fact that our kids are told Hitler should have finished the job, or are physically attacked? It wouldn’t be tolerated in 2024, nor should it be. But despite the astronomical statistics of antisemitism read about in articles or mentioned occasionally on the news, only Jews seem to be talking about it.
Behind the various interfaith organizations, is the veneer of friendship so frail? As Jews, we don’t need to be thanked for the rugelach that we brought to the meeting, we need colleagues to stand up and say antisemitism won’t be tolerated! The silence is deafening. As Dr. Mayim Bialik disappointedly reported, we all hoped that our grandparents were wrong. With the Holocaust still fresh in their minds, they believed that no one else will take care of us except other Jews. We desperately wanted them to be mistaken, but it seems they were right.
As I said in my blog, Over 8,000 Invisible Hezbollah Rockets Fired Toward Israel?, the missiles aren’t truly invisible, it’s just that the media doesn’t talk about the missile attacks from Hezbollah, which now total more than 10,000 and have been fired daily for a year. Instead, they portray Israel as a genocidal maniac bombing Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria as if they have nothing better to do with their time and money. I’m certain during this Holy time, Israelis would prefer to be at ease with their own thoughts and reflections rather than running to bomb shelters and wondering if their children in the army are safe.
Meanwhile, a year later the missiles are still volleyed daily, from Hezbollah as well as Hamas again and Israel is told repeatedly to mute their response. Seeing the world’s reaction putting Israel in a strait jacket, Iran directly joined the annihilation party with 200 of their own missiles, so did the Houthis from Yemen, the Shiite militias in Iraq and Syria, and terrorists in the West Bank. Hail, hail, the gang’s all here.
Too many have ignored the pain, some even deny October 7th happened or downplay the atrocities as resistance. The nation of Israel suffers from P.T.S.D. anyway because of the incessant bombings, shootings, stabbings, car rammings, incendiary balloons, strangely accepted at this point as part of their life, but this event ratcheted it up to another level. The fact that the IDF, always touted as one of the most aware intelligence establishments in the world, didn’t show up for hours, blew up Israelis’ confidence that the government would and could always protect them from harm. The bandage was ripped off the wound so casually, in the face of horror, that the scar will never be healed. Was Israel’s perceived safety ever reality, or was this just a pervasive myth that vanished as the terrorists invaded the music festival and kibbutzim?
I was intently watching and searching on all my electronics for online October 7th events, not wanting to miss anything that was available to learn about those who are still hostages and honor the memories of those innocents killed. Why? For me, it’s similar to why I always stand when the Mourners Kaddish is recited. It’s my way of honoring the victims of the Holocaust, and now unfortunately, there are other mass victims to embrace with reverence. For those as well who may not have someone who misses them. May their memories be a blessing.
I can’t say that the murdered were massacred for no other reason than that they are Israeli. There was more to it. In the Middle East, it’s always complicated, but I say this not that there was a legitimate reason for the heinous crimes. Their actions were not a reaction to the colonialism, and apartheid treatment of the Palestinians as claimed. It was depravity, that should be beyond a human’s capability.
The appetizer was 2,200 missiles directed at Israel that overwhelmed Israel’s heroic Iron Dome, Israel’s blessed defense system that blows up the thousands of missiles in the sky before they can hit their targets. Amen.
A complete Iron Dome system, of which Israel has 10, includes the radar, computer and three to four launchers – each containing up to 20 interceptors. It costs around $100 million dollars to produce. Each Iron Dome interceptor missile costs $40,000-$50,000 dollars to produce, according to the Washington-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies. Please understand these prevent the thousands of Hamas, Hezbollah, Yemeni, and others’ missiles from landing and killing Israelis. These strategic miracles are extremely expensive and essential.
David’s Sling is another of Israel’s defense systems to prevent enemy rockets from landing in Israel. It is designed to intercept enemy planes, drones, tactical ballistic missiles, medium to long-range rockets and cruise missiles, fired at ranges from 40 to 300 km (25 to 190 mi). These systems don’t kill the enemy, they prevent the enemy from completing their mission to annihilate Israel.
That’s why there have been few Israelis killed and injured comparatively to when Israel bombs targets. Israel’s greatest source of comfort preventing civilian deaths, has also led to a strong propaganda tool for the enemy. They point to the number dead and injured on each side, and claim that Israel is this genocidal bully. Yet, indeed without Iron Dome and its related armor, given the tens of thousands of missiles launched against Israel, would the country even exist today without the competence of Israel’s defense systems?
In April 2024, the Congress passed a bill for military aid for Israel of $26 Billion Dollars. The bill’s provisions include $4 billion earmarked to replenish Iron Dome and David’s Sling missile defense systems and $1.2 billion for the Iron Beam defense system, designed to counter short-range rockets and mortar threats. Personally, I believe the representatives voting against this bill should be scrutinized. What was their reasoning to not supply funding to prevent Israelis from being killed?
On October 7, 2023, at least 1,500 terrorists rained down on the land from the air in motorized paragliders and by sea. Followed by the less dramatic punching through fences on land via bulldozers or explosives. They were effective in destroying IDF communications which helped explain why the IDF’s response took so long.
What fun they had as they filmed themselves torturing and murdering their victims proudly calling their parents to tell them what they had accomplished. I couldn’t recognize these parents, mothers and fathers encouraging their sons to inflict these shocking crimes against humanity. They helped create these monsters, this mentality is beyond my comprehension. The video at the top of this blog is a recording of a terrorist who proudly called his parents after killing ten Israelis, with his bare hands.
The next paragraph you might choose to skip, their atrocities were horrific but must be catalogued to understand this was no ordinary military incursion—but one from hell. Listening to what those savages did on that day, was directed by internal darkness that could only be called evil. I don’t use that word lightly. What word would you use for people who killed so many at a Peace-filled music festival or burned families, men, women and children alive in their homes? They raped women and children in front of their parents and vice versa. Then they killed them. Some killing their rape victims and yet continuing to rape them or tortured their victims by shoving nails into their genitals or decapitating them. Multiple signs of sexual assault in the bodies found included broken pelvises, bruises, cuts and tears, and the victims ranged from children and teenagers to pensioners. Experienced investigators shaken by the horror they were seeing also seemed traumatized.
Jews commemorated October 7th and remembered the remaining hostages all over the world. Hostage families gathered outside Netanyahu’s home. Bring the hostages home! They felt that bringing their loved ones home should be the government’s highest priority. They wanted the United States to bargain on their own to see if they had better luck freeing the seven hostages with dual US citizenship.
As the early morning hour of the invasion anniversary passed, Hasidim had gathered at the Western Wall. As a Jew, seeing the Western Wall always grips my heart, during this important day I was grateful for the opportunity. In the background, Jews were praying and slipping their personal prayers into the cracks in the wall as is the custom. Periodically, the entreaties are collected and honored by burying them.
The ultraorthodox men had gathered there because a new Torah had been written and they were dedicating it at the Western Wall to honor the hostages. The Torah was dressed in a curved, ornate, silver case, with the crowns stretching longingly toward heaven as the men proceeded with their ceremony. While looking at the refined artistry on the Torah casing dressing, my mind wandered to look for the women. There were none in sight, a situation that continues to rankle my thoughts. With so much that I admire about our religion, the denominations that believe women should be second class citizens truly affronts my sensibilities. I’m grateful that many of the denominations have adjusted their practices to include women, even as rabbis and cantors.
The devastation on both sides must be looked at with compassionate, open eyes. If war is chosen as an alternative, you must take responsibility for your actions. Israel’s attacks on Gaza have killed nearly 42,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry, while a conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon has left around 1,800 dead and driven 1.2 million from their homes. This unnecessary loss of life could have been prevented if there was a representative from the Hamas/Hezbollah side whose stated goal wasn’t to destroy Israel. They won’t speak with Israel about Peace; they don’t want Israel to exist. Yet, how often is Israel blamed for no Peace agreement?
Do I agree with everything that the Netanyahu government has done? Absolutely not. I don’t believe in war; I think it’s tragically implemented and ineffective. But I do believe Israelis must be protected. How do you stop an enemy dedicated to your destruction who believes martyrdom is a privileged choice? Smarter minds will have to find the answer. I don’t have the solution.
Attacking Jews who have no say in the Israeli government seems like you’ve found a place to vent your sick aggression. We shouldn’t expect people with such distorted values to care about those finer details.
A dismal recap of the year since October 7th is reported by Reuters…” In the past year in the Gaza Strip, Israel has bombed more than 40,000 targets, found 4,700 tunnel shafts and destroyed 1,000 rocket launcher sites.
Israel’s most current evolution has lived in a rough neighborhood for over 75 years. Through the centuries this is nothing new, yet it is devastating. Jews have lived there for thousands of years and have been forced out repeatedly. We were excited to return in 1948, only to be attacked again by nations of unfriendly neighbors. Jews consistently could win the most hated award. No thanks, how do we get off this treadmill?
Surprisingly, the roots of the three, wide-spread Abrahamic religions are the same. Is this sibling rivalry gone mad? Perhaps. What is obvious is that proceeding in this violent manner is untenable. This is a bleak way to begin the New Year. Yom Kippur, when the final decree of who will live and who will die, be afflicted, or have a great year is decided, begins Friday night. I hope we all are chosen for the latter alternative.
Soon SEASON 6 of PEACE with Penny will begin, and we’ll get back to publishing interviews with Israeli and Palestinian Peacemakers that will bring smiles to all our faces. But antisemitism and a multi-fronted war just can’t be ignored. It’s painful to speak about, and worse to live. We’ll see how I manage to blend PEACE with Penny and writing Times of Israel Blogs. At this point I’m not sure how this will work, please join me on my latest journey.
For our non-Jewish friends who have Jewish friends, next time you see them, please give them a hug. They need it whether they’d admit it or not.
May You Be Written in the Book of life and Live in Peace, שלום and سلام.