Three years after the Hamas-led Oct. 7 terror attacks in Israel, nearly 2,000 people gathered at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills to honor the victims and survivors, remember those who were killed, and express their solidarity with Israel.
Maya Regev, who was kidnapped with her brother on Oct. 7 and released the following month, lit a memorial candle in honor of the hostages who never returned home.
“May their memories forever be a blessing,” she said.
Modi Ephraim, Israel’s newly appointed consul general to the Pacific Southwest, drew applause when he noted that the recent High Holidays marked the first time in three years that no hostages remained in Gaza.
“I know that everyone here never stopped fighting for their release and recovery,” he said. “On behalf of the State of Israel, we are deeply grateful.”
The memorial, organized by StandWithUs, featured remarks from StandWithUs Co-Founder and CEO Roz Rothstein; Noa Tishby, actress and former Israeli special envoy for combating antisemitism and delegitimization of Israel; Rabbi David Baron of Temple of the Arts; American Jewish Committee Los Angeles Regional Director Kimberley Plotnik; Israeli-American Council CEO Elan Carr; and Jewish Journal Publisher and Editor-in-Chief David Suissa.
“Tonight, we honor the memory of those slaughtered on Oct. 7 and those who have fallen since,” Tishby said. “We will never forget them or the broken hearts of the families that mourned them.”
Two survivors of the Nova music festival massacre, Rom El-Hai and Lee Sasi, also shared their experiences. El-Hai recounted fleeing east with friends as the attack began and hiding behind a bush while falsely assuring a relative by phone that he was safe.
He ended his remarks by unfurling a rainbow-colored flag bearing the word “Nova” and wrapping himself in it. “We will dance again,” he said.
Sasi, who described herself as an “818 girl” from the San Fernando Valley, recalled attending the festival with her uncle, Avi Sasi, who was killed in the attack. She said her uncle threw himself onto a grenade to protect her and others sheltering in a roadside bomb shelter.
The program also included musical and dance performances and a candle-lighting ceremony overseen by Suissa, who fought back tears as he addressed the audience.
“I hope I can get through this,” he said.
The event was organized by StandWithUs in partnership with the American Jewish Committee’s Los Angeles office, the Israeli-American Council, Temple of the Arts, Jewish Journal, the Israeli consulate, Bnei Akiva of Los Angeles, American Friends of Soroka Medical Center and Eighteen18.
Three years after the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, two senior physicians from Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba joined former hostage Maya Regev for an intimate gathering at a private home in Los Angeles, where they shared their experiences of the war, the challenges of treating its victims and the long road to recovery.
Dr. Abd Abu Ganim, a senior surgeon and director of Soroka Medical Center’s Kidney Transplant Service, and Professor Zvi Perry, a senior surgeon, researcher and specialist in general and bariatric surgery, were both working at the hospital on Oct. 7 when hundreds of wounded Israelis were brought in following the Hamas attacks. The physicians recalled the chaos of that day and the enormous challenges faced by medical teams as they struggled to save lives under extraordinary circumstances.
Among those treated at Soroka was Regev, who was abducted from the Nova music festival and held hostage in Gaza for 54 days. After her release, she was brought directly to the hospital for urgent medical treatment. At the L.A. gathering, Regev joined the physicians to reflect on her experience and the medical care she received after returning to Israel.
The discussion also highlighted the challenges faced by medical professionals who worked to save lives while worrying about the safety of their own families and communities.
Their experiences were also documented in a Kan 11 television documentary broadcast to mark the third anniversary of Oct. 7. The film features previously unreleased footage from Soroka’s internal security cameras, along with firsthand accounts from six hospital staff members. It offers a rare look at the events inside the hospital that day, as medical teams struggled to keep up with the continuous arrival of wounded patients.
Soroka Medical Center, which serves residents of southern Israel, was itself struck by an Iranian missile in June 2025, causing extensive damage to the hospital. The American Friends of Soroka in Los Angeles was established 12 years ago by Avi Kadmon, following Operation Protective Edge in 2014, after he recognized the need to support the hospital and its vital work in the Negev.
Among the guests at the gathering was Rabbi Chaim Mentz of Chabad of Bel Air, who emphasized the importance of mental health care for those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result of the war. Mentz also donated $25,000 to the hospital.
– Ayala Or-El, Contributing Reporter
On Oct. 6, one day before the anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks against Israel, “Fauda” co-creator Avi Issacharoff (right) appears in conversation with journalist Matt Gutman during an invitation-only event at Creative Artists Agency. The event, held in CAA’s Ray Kurtzman Theater, was organized by the Paul E. Singer Foundation.
