As we celebrate the Jewish New Year, we must remember October 7th, 2023, which was a devastating day for all: Israelis, Palestinians, and those in the Arab and Jewish diaspora. The event simultaneously marked the largest single-day massacre of the Jewish people since the Holocaust. It also marks the ongoing massacre and violence against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Since October 7th, Antisemitism and Islamophobia have been on the rise everywhere, especially in the U.S. The following stories are coming from the Jewish community at Goucher. I tried to contact Jewish students from a non-Hillel standpoint, but they sadly never got back to me.
For myself, I remember the total shock to my core. I also recall feeling distressed because I have family in Israel and was worried about their safety and those of the hostages. I still am. In the following weeks, I constantly contacted one of my cousins to ensure they were alive and well. Like many Jewish people, I suffered from Antisemitism. No one wanted to work with or collaborate with the only Jewish organization on campus, Hillel, due to the conflict. It was hard for me because Hillel has given me so much. I have met and made wonderful lifelong friends at Hillel. I also got leadership experience from Hillel. For me, Hillel isn’t just an organization but a community. I know it may seem challenging; All grief is valid, but we shouldn’t hurt one another using it. We’ve had so much lost; bring the hostages home!
When Rachel Haggard, a political science major, learned about the tragic events that took place in Israel on October 7th, she thought back to a trip she took with her high school to Israel just 18 months prior. “I remember visiting a town in the south, close to the border with Gaza, called Sderot. I hope all the incredible people I met during that trip were safe.” One year later, Rachel is still heartbroken that one hundred and one innocent people are still being held hostage, and families in Gaza are still suffering. She continues to pray for the release of the remaining hostages and an end to hostilities in the region.
The last reflection is from Tova Vacknin, a junior studying psychology and minoring in studio art. “It’s been a year, a year since Hamas terrorists invaded communities, homes, and a music festival by means of land, air, and sea to kill as many people as they possibly could. A year since homes were destroyed, people displaced, and hostages taken. A year since unsuspecting dancing people from all walks of life suddenly heard screams, gunshots, and the sounds of their friends dying beside them, knowing they would be next. A year since I got the news from my family that they had to hide from gunmen and run for their lives, barely making it out alive. A year of war, a year of violence, a year of suffering. It has been a year since October 7th, but we carry it with us every day. The echoes of the screams from October 7th will never quiet until we realize that human life matters more than destroying it.” Tova finishes our interview by saying, “מחזירים אותם הביתה עכשיו,” which means bring them home now!
By Sara Begelman, ’26