Trump was welcomed by Ohel staff and accompanied by family members of Israeli hostage Edan Alexander, Auschwitz survivor Jerry Wartski, Republican activist Ben Shapiro, and Jewish college students speaking out against campus antisemitism.
At 7 p.m. a privately organized memorial ceremony was held at Hayarkon Park. About 40,000 tickets were allocated for public attendance but the current security situation has prompted a decision to hold a more intimate events with only relatives of hostages and victims. An hour later a pre-recorded state-ceremony was aired.
During Monday's ceremony, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff spoke about antisemitism and Harris' commitment to the security of Israel and the Jewish people: "As the first Jewish spouse [of] an American president or vice president, I take this role very seriously. Kamala is the one who encouraged me to use the platform I have to fight against antisemitism and hate. She’s also the person who encouraged me to lean into my Jewish faith."
Vlada Patapov, captured fleeing in viral footage shares her regrets and ongoing struggles in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 massacre.
Every Israeli now carries a daily burden, an anguish that has lingered since October 7, 2023. It weighs on our souls, refusing to let go or disappear, even if the routines of daily life occasionally push it aside.
Tali Hadad's courageous actions during Hamas' October 7 attack on Ofakim saved 13 lives.
Some 1,194 Israelis were murdered on Oct. 7, a number etched into our collective memory. The Israeli bereaved family is now almost a nation, present in countless homes and too many towns to count. Oct. 7 is not an event from the past but the Israeli present, from which the nation will continue on.
One line on the poster was called "Departure Station Kibbutz Nova Music Festival," while another read, "Hamas UNRWA HQ." By bringing this information to London's commuters, the organizers hoped to raise awareness about the conflict and advocate for the release of hostages still held by Hamas.
Hen Goldstein Almog clings to life. After 51 days in captivity, she faces daily trauma and the loss of her daughter Yam and her husband Nadav, who were murdered before her eyes. 'I still live with the absence of Nadav and Yam, and the loss of our home,' she shares. On her decision to tell her story, she says, 'It's exhausting, but it's very important to me.' From the terror in the shelter to silencing her children in Hamas captivity, she adds: 'We are working on living – the grief and pain are always with us.' She also has a message for those still held hostage in Gaza: 'Your families are fighting like lions for you.'
From mobile pizza ovens for soldiers to ambulances and photography exhibitions, these initiatives serve as living memorials to those who lost their lives on October 7, 2023.