On the first anniversary of the

Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel

, Hamilton College’s Center for Jewish Life held a vigil and memorial to honor the lives that were lost. The vigil was held outside of Sadove at 7:30 p.m. and was open to all students, faculty and community members.

On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas militants stormed into Israel from the Gaza strip, killing hundreds, injuring thousands and taking hundreds hostage. According to The Associated Press, one year later,

nearly 100 hostages still remain in Gaza

. The vigil commemorated those who lost their lives in this attack and created a space for the community to come together in a time of healing and reflection.

The Hamilton College Center for Jewish Life, which includes the Chabad Student Group and Hamilton Hillel, sent out an email invitation to the student body for the vigil on Oct. 6. In the email, they highlighted that the vigil was “not a political event, but one for peace and remembrance.”

“In moments like these, our strength comes from our sense of community,” Chabad Student Group wrote in its email. “This event is not only about remembering the past but also about being present for each other as we heal and move forward with hope. Together, we will create a space of comfort, solidarity, and peace.”

During the gathering, multiple Jewish students were called on to read prayers, recite psalms of peace and light candles. The vigil began with the reading of Tehillim, Chapter 120 by Hannah Lipskar ʼ25 and Sam Glickman ʼ25, followed by Myles Derabertis ʼ27 and Jared Maidman ʼ26 reading Tehillim, Chapter 121. Eliza Schwarz ʼ27 and Alexis Mayer ʼ26 then recited “Kel Maleh Racamim, Prayer for the Souls of the Departed.” To conclude, Beckett Kravetz ʼ27 and Sarah Roth ʼ25 said a prayer for the captives. Attendees were given pamphlets with the prayers and psalms written out in order to follow along.

A candle lighting ceremony followed the period of prayer. Students lit seven candles, each representing a particular theme. The seven themes of the past year were remembrance, pain, bravery, healing, Jewish peoplehood, hope and peace. Before lighting each candle, students gave a short speech explaining the theme and what it represents.

Then, the Center for Jewish Life showed a video detailing a woman’s survival story from the Oct. 7 attack. After the video, Chabad President Gabrielle Nakkab ʼ25 invited any community members who wanted to say a few words to speak at the microphone. Rabbi Didy Waks, off-campus advisor to the Chabad Student Group, spoke first.

“We witnessed the unthinkable, the brutal loss of innocent lives, families torn apart and a pain so deep that words can barely express it,” Waks said in his speech. “Our brothers and sisters were taken from us in the cruelest ways. Since that morning we have stood together in unity and shared brokenness and in prayer. We cannot stop thinking of the 101 innocent people still held captive in the darkness of Hamas tunnels beneath Gaza. We remember the thousands who were murdered and injured, the over 20,000 rockets and missiles fired at Israel and the thousands still displaced from their homes. For many of us, the pain remains so raw and so real. We lie awake at nights, our hearts heavy with the suffering of our brethren.”

Kravetz and Carter Hollins ʼ25, co-presidents of Hamilton Hillel, spoke about the importance of coming together to mourn the lives lost and to reaffirm the commitment to building a less antisemitic and more inclusive world. “Colleges are meant to be places of learning, growth and understanding, yet they have now become sites in which fear and intimidation take root, often impeding students’ abilities to bring their full selves into the classroom,” Kravetz said.

“It is imperative that we learn from the events of this past year and actively foster an environment where everyone feels safe to express themselves and engage in meaningful, civil and productive dialogue.”

At the end of the vigil, Nakkab invited all attendees to sing “One Day” by Matisyahu, a song of hope calling for the end of conflict. Each person was given a sunflower, representing peace and prayers for the hostages. All attendees also had the opportunity to add a small light to a poster that read “Light Over Darkness” over the faces of the people who were lost on Oct. 7, 2023.

“This day for Jewish people has no longer been just another day where we can wake up and just ignore the date, but a date that really terrifies some of us and a date that unites Jewish people around the world,” Nakkab said in a follow-up conversation with The Spectator. “It was important to show that there’s a Jewish community to back those who are feeling fearful and down today. It’s important that we’re around other kids who understand exactly how we’re feeling, and being together is how we do that.”

Luiz Gandelman ʼ28 said that his life has changed drastically since Oct. 7, 2023, and it has been very difficult for him to be proudly Jewish since. “I lost a dear friend who was taken hostage on Oct. 7, and seeing the loss of life that’s happening in both Gaza and Israel, all because Hamas decided to invade Israel and massacre people, is really sad,” Gandelman said. “Being here is a way to show support for my friends and family in Israel, those who lost their lives, those who are currently held hostage in Gaza and just to remember the dead and fight like hell for the living.”

Throughout the vigil, students shared hopes for peace and for the new year to bring greater unity and understanding than the previous year. Nakkab explained that by holding this vigil and creating a space for Jewish students to come together, the Center for Jewish Life hopes to “bring light to these dark times.”

“The most important thing right now is to work for a better future and promote peace,” Gandelman said. The way to do that is by remembering those who were tragically killed on Oct. 7 and since and to remember their lives–remember the mission that most of them had of peace and to honor their memories. [We need] to stick together as a community, not just as a Jewish community, but as a Hamilton family and support each other as we all push for a better future all around the world.”