Remembrances are being held around the New York City area Tuesday marking two years since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel that sparked the war in Gaza and continues to reverberate across the Middle East.
More than 10,000 people are expected to gather on Central Park’s Great Lawn to commemorate the day. As they remember the victims, it’s also the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, a time that’s typically devoted to peace and reflection.
“It’s a unique brand of torment”
Two years later, the memory remains vivid for many. Hamas militants launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, killing more than 1,200 people that day and taking more than 250 others hostage.
For survivors and families of the victims, the pain has never gone away. Rachel Goldberg Polin said her son, Hersh, was captured and killed by Hamas at the Nova Music Festival.
Rachel Goldberg Polin says her son, Hersh, was captured and killed by Hamas at the Nova Music Festival on Oct. 7, 2023.
Family handout
“I think, when it’s a child, it’s a unique brand of torment,” she told CBS News New York. “You don’t get better, because when you’re broken in a certain way, you just have to learn how to live with that brokenness.”
She said she still has conversations with her son.
“I say, ‘Good morning, my sweet boy. Let me feel your love and your light today. No more pain, just love and strength,” she said.
Hope for a deal to release the hostages
As commemorations are being held across Israel and in Jewish communities around the world, many say the day feels especially touching as it serves as a reminder of the ongoing hope for peace, even amid sadness.
Goldberg Polin said she believes a deal to release the hostages is closer than ever but she also remembers the suffering civilians in Gaza are going through.
“If you only cry when one side’s babies die, it means your moral compass is broken, and therefore, your humanity is broken,” she said.
Israelis and Jews are being called to not only look back on the Oct. 7 tragedy but to forward toward healing and peace.
Sukkot is set to begin at 3 p.m., a powerful reminder that even in the face of tragedy, hope and strength remain.