Hundreds gathered at Congregation Shearith Israel in Dallas last night to mark one year since Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking more than 200 others hostage, according to the Israeli government.
The event, hosted by the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas, was a somber remembrance for Jewish and Israeli Americans in North Texas, and those with connections to Israel. Here, they reflect on what the past year has been like.
Alex Horn
"Last year I remember waking up on the morning of Oct. 7. It was really early. I have a young child and we woke up early to the horrific news of what was happening in Israel. And I was just in shock. I was really in disbelief. I didn't really know what to make of it. It was very scary. It was alarming. It was something that we never thought would happen. And it just kind of rattled our community. People were scared to go to work, to go to school, to send their children to school. So that is something that our community has been grieving for the past year.
"I think it's been a challenging year for North Texans and the Jewish community across the country. I know for me, like my friends and family, we sometimes have to question whether we feel safe going to certain events or certain gatherings. But I also think it's made us even more proud of our Jewish heritage and proud to stand up to say that we are not going away. We're going to stand together and be proud of who we are."
Anna Salton Eisen
"I'm Jewish. And I consider myself a Zionist, a supporter of Israel. I live in Westlake, Texas, but I was the founding member of Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, where my rabbi and friends in January 2022 were held hostage by a jihadist that came from England. And so now that we're facing this current hostage crisis and war going on in Israel, I really feel that it's important to be here and show my support."
Sherasa Thomas
"I work for the Anti-Defamation League, and we are a partner with other Jewish organizations. And so we're here to support this very important occasion of recognizing the tragedies that happened just a year ago.
"I guess my heart always sinks when lives are lost. And so, you know, I can't imagine what the families of the hostages must have felt like.
"I guess I still feel disheartened because we're still you know, we're still in the same situation with the war, with the loss of lives, with confusion. And, you know, it's unfortunate that even after a year, that I feel like not very much progress has been made.
"As a Black woman, it’s important because I believe that our marginalized communities should support one another. And I stand up for all communities that are being oppressed, who are marginalized, who are victims of hate. And so it's important that that we show up for each other, that we show true allyship and show empathy."
Moran Bouskila
"I'm originally from Israel, living in the United States for the last almost 19 years.
"Wow. One year ago, my God. Jewish people were murdered. ... I'm heartbroken since then. It's my family. Not, you know, close family, but everybody in Israel is a family. I'm here to hurt and cry for them and remember them as much as I can."
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