In commemoration of the first anniversary of Oct. 7, Binghamton University’s Jewish community organized a vigil to remember lives lost in Israel. Students, faculty and staff assembled on the Peace Quad at 6 p.m. to hear speeches from community leaders and to pray for those impacted by the Hamas attack and its fallout.

Monday marked the first anniversary of the attack on the Nova music festival, on the outskirts of Kibbutz Re’im, and other towns in Israel’s south. An estimated 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians, were killed in the attack with around 250 taken hostage.

Michal Levine, the president of Chabad and a senior majoring in Judaic studies, described the sense of community she felt at the vigil and her hope for peace in the region.

“Our entire community came together to commemorate those who were taken from us,” Levine wrote. “It was a beautiful ceremony filled with sadness, yet hope. As we stood strong together proudly embracing our Jewish identities and the love we have for Israel and each other. Our heart breaks to think of the souls that were lost, as we [still] hope & pray for the release of the hostages and for peace.”

The vigil’s opening remarks were delivered by Adira Greenwald, the president of the BU Zionist Organization and a senior majoring in business administration, and Gabby Gamss, the organization’s vice president and a senior majoring in psychology. They were followed by Rep. Marc Molinaro, who denounced Hamas and all forms of antisemitism and reaffirmed support for the Jewish students and community members present.

“Israel and Jewish citizens faced a horrific terrorist attack that, in many ways, should have reminded us of how important the right to express one’s faith is, to live in peace is and to be able to associate with one another is,” Molinaro told Pipe Dream. “And sadly, over the course of the last year, what we’ve seen is not only this act of terror but also acts of antisemitism and hate.”

His comments were followed by footage taken on Oct. 7 and the subsequent weeks that depicted the violence festivalgoers were subjected to during the attack. The video was played at 6:29 p.m. — Hamas began its assault on the festival at 6:29 a.m. one year ago.

Harris Weiss ‘16, a representative from New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office, said Hochul ordered all flags at state buildings be flown at half-staff in remembrance of the victims of the attack. Afterward, Nadav Weglein, a junior majoring in economics, spoke about his brother-in-law, Yosef Guedalia, who was killed on active duty in the aftermath of the attacks. He reflected on his brother’s drive to face challenges and “make impossible missions possible.”

A recent transfer student, Angelina Palumbo, a junior majoring in Judaic studies, then described the antisemitism and harassment she faced both on social media and in person on her previous campus because of her support for Zionism.

Twelve memorial candles were lit by students, each in remembrance of the kibbutzim immediately affected by the tragedy, the victims, the Israeli Defense Forces and Omer Neutra, an admitted student held captive by Hamas.

Rabbis from Chabad, Meor, JLIC and the Beth David Synagogue in Binghamton led the crowd in prayer, including a Misheberach for the hostages and the injured and a Kaddish.

“We hoped this would all be over long ago,” BUZO wrote to Pipe Dream. “Yet, the world has not yet woken up, 101 of our brothers and sisters still remain in Hamas captivity, and selfless heroes still put their lives on the line ensure that we will still be here tomorrow. And we will. We will keep advocating, educating, and standing strong and proud in the face of adversity, until all of our people are returned home and the communities destroyed can be rebuilt.”

Mackenzie Cooper, the BU Council representative and a junior majoring in philosophy, politics and law, also spoke, describing her experience connecting to the Jewish community on campus and traveling to Israel.

Rivkah Slonim, the rebbetzin of Chabad, echoed a story told by Howard Schultz, the former Starbucks chief executive, about a time when he spoke to a rabbi in Israel who survived the Holocaust. The rabbi told a story about people sharing the limited blankets as they slept in bunkers, emphasizing the importance of paying kindness forward.

“Push your blanket out,” Slonim said. “As members of the sacred society of humanity all of us create in the image of God, push your blanket out. Ours is the power of focusing on mission and responsibility. It’s not about what popular culture zeitgeist says or even about what we feel. It’s about rising to any challenges to live out our life’s purpose. Let blanket kindness and our justice spirit, the sheer audacity of unfettered goodness, suffocate and eradicate evil for all time.”

Saul Hakim, a BUZO senior advisor double-majoring in Judaic studies and political science, gave closing remarks expressing his support for Israel, the strength of their community and calling for the return of the hostages. The stage was then opened for audience members who wanted to speak.

On Monday morning, Provost Donald Hall, Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Karen Jones and Vice President for Student Affairs Brian Rose released an emailed statement to the campus community asking for students and faculty to engage in civil dialogue throughout the emotional day and to be respectful and kind to each other.

During the day, BUZO, Chabad, Hillel, Meor and JLIC collaborated to create a memorial exhibition in the Mandela Room to remember the lives lost at the festival and bring attention to the hostages that were taken. Tables placed by the entrance had cards with the names of American hostages, others detailing the events of Oct. 7 and a map illustrating the national identities of the over 250 taken by Hamas. Information about the University Counseling Center was included, and pamphlets listed ways to cope with traumatic events.

“Through the exhibition, we gave space to allow those affected by [Oct. 7] to mourn while also educating those who are less aware of what took place,” wrote Arielle Schlissel, the president of Hillel and a senior double-majoring in psychology and anthropology. “The exhibition was meant to foster understanding and togetherness so the community could come together on this very difficult day.”

Other posters were displayed, with one urging the viewer to imagine the magnitude of the Oct. 7 attacks if they happened in the United States. Others highlighted the stories of those who attended the Nova music festival and survived to tell their story, like Millet Ben Haim, 28, who hid with her friends for six hours between a tree and a bush before being rescued.

The exhibition also featured multiple interactive installations, including a corridor illustrating the impact of the attacks on kibbutzim in the area and 1,200 flowers representing those killed. Two hundred fifty-one ribbons were hung from a frame, each representing a hostage — yellow representing those alive and black representing those known to have died. A table was set up where visitors could write letters to survivors, the families of victims and soldiers.

“Today’s event, with hundreds of students coming together, is a powerful testament to the strength of our community,” Hakim wrote to Pipe Dream. “It shows that despite the pain, we have made progress — our efforts to bring people together have resonated, and we are standing stronger and more unified than ever before.”