On the night of October 6, 2023, 1,139 people settled down for sleep, anticipating the day ahead. Some had work and school to attend, while others were eager about a musical festival. None of them, however, could have imagined what October 7 would bring.
On the morning of October 7 at 6:00 a.m., Hamas, a terrorist organization, shot rockets into Israel. They attacked Israeli neighborhoods and military bases, killing and kidnapping over 1,200 innocent Jewish people. Victims included Americans and Israeli men, women, and children. All lost their lives or loved ones on the morning of October 7.
It has been one year since these attacks. Hamas still holds 101 hostages in Gaza. Many soldiers fighting for Israel have been killed in the past year, and people have still not seen their loved ones since then.
Many people all over the country were directly affected by the attacks. Since October 7, people are still constantly posting on social media about what is happening in Gaza, such as stories about how many hostages remain, or how long it has been since the attacks.
Emery Junior Gayah Hampel, who has a sister in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), mentioned that she is “extremely worried for her sister and what is to come in the future.” She also mentioned that although there is a large “darkness still looming in Israel,” she still went this summer to visit her sister and the memorials. She says that for her it is “especially hard because [she] [knows] people that have family and friends that have been held hostage or killed in the attacks.”
Along with the people who have family and friends currently in Israel and people close to them who were directly impacted by the attacks, others who have no direct ties to Israel have also been affected by the events
Emery junior Cooper Sabloff mentioned that “it hasn’t affected [him] specifically too much; however, it does affect [him] in the way that our community has been touched.” He also adds that even one year later, there are “still people visiting us from Israel to spread awareness, and [he] appreciates that.”
People throughout our community and throughout the world have been greatly impacted by the results of the attacks and its aftermath one year later. What happened on October 7 can never be forgotten. One year ago today, the largest mass killing of Jews since the Holocaust took place. One year later we still remember the attacks and the effects it had on all of us.
