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October 7, 2024It feels like yesterday. I was jolted awake by the non-stop buzzing of the Red-Alert app on my phone. As Israeli news anchors struggled to comprehend the horrors unfolding, I watched in disbelief. Danny Kushmaro, a journalist on Channel 12 News, took a call live from Ella Ben Ami, who described how her father, Ohad Ben Ami, was taken hostage by Hamas terrorists from Kibbutz Be’eri and led to Gaza. Her voice trembled as she pleaded for help, and Danny broke down on air, reflecting the anguish of an entire nation. I met Ella and her sister Natalie in Israel in January. Both of their parents were taken hostage that day. Raz Ben Ami was released in late November, but Ohad remains in Gaza—365 days since he was led away in a t-shirt and underwear.Nor can I forget the voice of Romi Suissa, the six-year-old orphan who asked an Israeli Police officer “are you with Israel” as she was being rescued from a bullet ridden car along with her infant sister in Sderot where her parents were killed in front of her eyes. These are just a few of the hundreds of heart-wrenching stories that emerged on October 7th. The hours and days that followed were filled with horrific images and videos on Telegram and social media documenting the brutality of Hamas. Images I will never be able to unsee, seared in my memory forever. I remember crying uncontrollably as I witnessed the horrors. This was never supposed to happen—not in a post-Shoah world, and certainly not almost 50 years to the day after the Yom Kippur War.It is almost unfathomable that 12 months have passed since Hamas launched its war on Israel. What is even more shocking is the response on the streets of liberal democracies across the world. By all accounts, the loss of innocent life—whether in Israel, Gaza, or Lebanon—is horrific. But Hamas, Hezbollah, and their backers are using civilians as human shields, fueling a propaganda campaign that distorts the truth and fosters antisemitism worldwide.We all know the truth. If Hamas had not launched its barbaric attack on Oct. 7th last year, thousands of people would still be alive. If Hamas lays down its weapons today and releases 101 hostages, many lives can still be saved.As we mark this first October 7th, we must never forget the 1,165 civilians, soldiers, police officers, and first responders who lost their lives that day and the 461 Israelis who have fallen since—either in defense of the country or in the ongoing war.And here we are. One year to the day of the most horrific massacre of Jewish life since the Holocaust. Many in Israel haven’t even had the chance to properly mourn. Men and women jumped into action in her defense. Children have gone months without seeing a parent who are serving in the army. Families are grappling with unimaginable loss—parents burying their children, siblings and spouses mourning loved ones, and too many orphans left behind. All this while a nation remains at war.I do not believe we can ever go back to the days of October 6th, 2023. The Jewish world has changed. Once again, the Jewish people are redefining history for the world. Israel is on the frontlines of the fight against Iran's proxies, defending democracy and Western values, while Jewish communities worldwide battle the hate and antisemitism that has been nurtured for decades, disguised as anti-Zionism on university campuses, in unions, and throughout society.Just as Israel stands strong in her defense against Hezbollah in Lebanon, we at Federation CJA are taking proactive steps to protect Montreal’s Jewish community. Last week, we secured a court-ordered Safeguard to protect Jewish students at Concordia University from classroom shutdowns and building lockdowns by the pro-Hamas/Hezbollah elements attempting to incite chaos during their so-called 'week of rage' on campus. We will not be silent. We will continue to fight for the rights of our community and ensure that our proud 300-year history in Quebec continues for generations to come.Our hearts are broken but not defeated. We have shed tears together; shared our anguish and anger together. We may never bounce back to the days of October 6th. But we will bounce forward. United, more resilient, and resolute.Today, let us pray for the immediate release of our hostages, remember the lives of those lost, and say a collective prayer for peace for all of Am Yisrael - שלום על ישראל.Am Yisrael Chai.
Yair Szlak, LL.B.President and Chief Executive Officer,Federation CJA
