Baltimore Community Unites for Powerful October 7 Commemoration (Photo Essay)

By The Associated/Rrochelle Eisenberg
Posted on 10/10/24

Baltimore, MD - Oct. 10, 2024  - As the sun began to set one year after the October 7 attacks, people from all around Baltimore filed into Beth El Congregation in Pikesville for a community-wide commemoration of that horrific day. Outside, posters of the many hostages taken by Hamas served as a stark reminder of the lasting effects of the attacks. Near the entrance, people placed rocks with messages of love and unity into a memory garden dedicated to the lives lost.

As approximately 1,400 attendees made their way to the sanctuary, they were adorned with small yellow ribbons and stickers depicting Anemone flowers—symbols of peace and support for Israel.

Shortly after 7 p.m., the program began with opening remarks that highlighted the value of community and emphasized the importance of coming together, especially during times of struggle and despair.

As the night went on, the audience heard from an assortment of speakers who shared their experiences and perspectives following the devastating attacks. Families of IDF soldiers lost in the war were asked to stand, and guests observed a moment of silence as the family of Annie Moriah Smith, an IDF combat support intelligence agent, lit a candle on behalf of all those who lost someone to the tragedy.

One particularly poignant speech came from Yahel, a Baltimore Shinshinit who experienced the massacre firsthand from her home in Jerusalem. She recounted the terrifying moment when the first rockets rang out on Shabbat morning and recalled the urgency with which she and her siblings rushed to the bomb shelters.

Her voice shook as she spoke of the heartbreaking moment when she learned that several of her family members were kidnapped to Gaza by Hamas, and the incomprehensible feeling of knowing that Israeli civilians had been taken. Tears filled her eyes as she shared the fate of a cousin whose wife and daughters were brutally murdered by Hamas. By the end of her speech, the entire audience had risen and filled the room with thunderous applause.

Several elected officials and prominent figures were also in attendance and shared remarks, including Eyal Naor, Minister for Congressional Affairs at the Embassy of Israel, U.S. Senator Ben Cardin and Maryland Governor Wes Moore. Each of the officials emphasized Maryland’s solidarity with Israel, with Moore declaring “Hate will find no oxygen in the state of Maryland.”

Andrew Cushnir, President and CEO of The Associated, also addressed the crowd. He discussed the importance of The Associated’s Baltimore-Ashkelon Partnership, and how the October 7 attacks affected many of those close to the Baltimore community. “The distance from Baltimore to Israel is not measured in miles, but in heartbeats,” he said. He went on to emphasize the need for continued unity between Baltimore and Israel. He also recognized Sigal Ariely, The Associated’s Baltimore-Ashkelon Partnership Coordinator, who later spoke to the crowd via video message from Israel.

After a slideshow compilation of pictures sent in from Israeli civilians, volunteers and visitors, Rabbi Andrew Busch of Baltimore Hebrew Congregation and Rabbi Joshua Z. Gruenberg of Chizuk Amuno Congregation and Schools took the stage to announce a focused campaign to raise funds for the Israel Trauma Coalition Resilience Center. They urged the audience to make a donation of $180––roughly the cost of one therapy session. The Associated promised to match individual donations of up to $500,000. The goal of the campaign is to support the mental health and ongoing trauma faced by those in Ashkelon whose lives were forever changed by the attacks.

The program concluded with a rendition of Hatikvah, Israel’s national anthem, led by the HaZamir Youth Choir. The room filled with the sound of hundreds of voices singing together and standing united for Israel as the community made their way out.