Around 500 people filled Temple Sinai on Monday night to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel that killed over 1,200 people.
The somber gathering brought together members of the North Shore Jewish community to remember those lost, show solidarity and continue the process of healing. The event was organized by Temple Sinai in partnership with the Jewish Community Center of the North Shore and several other local synagogues and Jewish organizations.
As the community gathered in Marblehead, Israel intensified its military operations against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. This escalation has resulted in significant casualties, with reports of over 41,800 Palestinian deaths and more than 1,400 Lebanese casualties since the conflict reignited.
Rabbi Michael Schwartz of Temple Sinai welcomed attendees, noting the significance of coming together as a community during such a difficult time. The ceremony began with the lighting of a memorial candle to honor the victims of the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks.
The evening featured poetry readings, musical performances and visual art displays, reflecting the community’s use of artistic expression to process grief and trauma.
Rabbi Yossi Lipsker, director of Chabad of the North Shore, explained the power of artistic expression in times of grief.
“Music and poetry in particular have a magical capacity to capture the way people are feeling when they have no words,” he said. “The power of poetry lies in its… words that you really have to work harder to get at what they’re saying. And that really captures the challenge of using words to describe the indescribable.”
Iris and Yotam Dagan, parents of Israeli soldiers Ori and Daniel Dagan, offered a prayer to protect Israeli forces. One poignant moment came when attendees heard a message from Rachel Goldberg Colin, mother of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who was murdered in captivity after being taken hostage a year ago.
Head of Epstein Hillel School Amy Gold, sharing Rachel’s letter, read, “Since then, those of you I knew and didn’t know have prayed for Hersh and us, cooked, advocated, took to the streets, cried for us and tried for us, prayed and prayed and prayed and I felt it. It washed over me. I felt it for these long, tortuous, arduous and tormented days,” Gold said.
The event also highlighted the plight of the remaining hostages, with 101 still believed to be held in Gaza. Organizers stressed the urgency of securing their release, stating simply, “Bring them home. Now.”
Throughout the evening, speakers emphasized the resilience and unity of the Jewish community in the face of tragedy. Marty Schneer, executive director of the JCC, addressed the gathering.
“We are here tonight to remember and grieve together as a community, to acknowledge the trauma we all hold and the generational trauma,” Schneer said. “We are here to cry together and also find strength by being together, strengthening one another.”
The commemoration included a display of handmade ceramic anemones, part of a project called “Darom Adom” or “Red South.” These red wildflowers, which typically bloom in Israel’s western Negev region each spring, have become a symbol of renewal and remembrance.
Schwartz explained the significance. “These gatherings provided a space to mourn the loss of so many lives that were like flowers plucked violently from the ground,” he said. “The project has served this way to find hope, by creating these symbols of renewal, a reminder that [anemones] would bloom once again after the rain.”
Community members reflected on the impact of coming together for such an event. Rita Swartz, a Swampscott resident, shared her thoughts.
“Our hearts are connected to our brains, and we see the evil, and we come together to comfort each other and support each other as a community,” she said.
Swartz added, “Judaism is love and freedom and peace, and what you’re seeing is the beauty of Judaism, the belief that we’re all brothers and sisters, that all life is precious and it takes priority over everything.”
As the community moves forward, speakers emphasized the importance of working towards healing. The evening concluded with a call for peace and a renewed commitment to supporting one another through difficult times.
The ceramic anemones created before the event will be displayed in the sukkah at Temple Sinai and the JCC, serving as an ongoing reminder of those lost and the community’s resilience in the face of tragedy.
While the Marblehead community gathered in remembrance, commemorations in Israel included solemn vigils for the victims of last year’s attacks. Simultaneously, pro-Palestinian protests erupted globally, highlighting the complex and deeply divided responses to the ongoing conflict.
