On the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks in Israel, nearly 2,000 people gathered at The Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills, for “LA Remembers.” The event, organized by the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles (JFEDLA), Israeli-American Council (IAC), StandWithUs and Temple of the Arts, featured speeches from survivors their families, parents of hostages, entertainment industry figures, community and elected officials and performances by Israeli and American musicians. It was a night of mourning and unity looking back at the 366 days since the largest single-day loss of Jewish life since the Holocaust.
The event opened with remarks by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who drew a rousing ovation when she said, “Antisemitism has absolutely no place in L.A.” In addition to Bass, more than 40 elected officials and foreign dignitaries attended, including U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D), U.S. Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks) and members of the L.A. City Council. Israel Consul General in Los Angeles Israel Bachar spoke on behalf of the Israeli government and was joined by the consul generals of more than a dozen countries.
The stage was filled with candles, including seven large candles on tall candlesticks, each representing one of the many groups of people who were attacked in Israel one year ago: fallen soldiers, hostages, civilian heroes, foreign nationals who were killed, women and victims of sexual violence, first responders and police, and one final candle for the over 1,200 people murdered on that fateful day.
Each speaker spoke at some point about the disbelief that, after a year, there are still hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza and so much more emboldened anti-Israel sentiment around the U.S. Yaniv Kestenbaum, chief of security for Kibbutz Or HaNer, told the Journal how much of a fog his mind had been in throughout the anniversary. “It’s been a very complicated day,” he said. “It’s a rollercoaster to stand here and tell the story, knowing my family is still in danger. People know the truth but don’t want to see it. We need to keep telling the world what happened, so the world doesn’t ignore us again.”
“It’s been a very complicated day. It’s a rollercoaster to stand here and tell the story, knowing my family is still in danger.” – Yaniv Kestenbaum
There were multiple musical performances throughout the evening: Eden Kontesz, who sang Eden Golan’s song from the 2024 Eurovision contest, “Hurricane,” and Israeli singer Raviv Kaner performed throughout the night accompanied by an acoustic guitarist and pianist. The crowd warmly sang along with him during the Beatles “Let it Be” as images of the hostages were shown.
Mayim Bialik, actress and neuroscientist, spoke about the pervasive fear and anxiety that many in the Jewish community have felt over the past year. “I, like so many of us, live with a terror and an anxiety since Oct. 7 that seems to not allow me to have a place where I can truly feel settled,” Bialik said. “And as the days of awe are upon us, we know that while we may never celebrate in the same way, the time for a certain kind of hand-wringing is largely over. This is our new reality. And for those of us with family and friends in Israel right now, the reality is unfolding in terrifying ways every day. This new reality feels nightmarish on even the best of days.”
Roz Rothstein, CEO of StandWithUs, urged the Jewish community to draw strength from Israel’s history. “And through our grief, we must stop and take note of the miracles, the strength of character, and the heroism because it is indeed breathtaking,” she said. “Everyone knows that Israel has never lost a war since its rebirth in 1948. And we’re also deeply aware that Israel can never lose a war.”
“Through our grief, we must stop and take note of the miracles, the strength of character, and the heroism because it is indeed breathtaking.”
– Roz Rothstein
Eitan Gonen, father of now 24-year-old hostage Romi Gonen, described the last time he spoke with his daughter. “Exactly one year ago, I woke up at 6:29 AM to a phone call from my ever-smiling daughter, Romi, in a voice full of fear,” he said. “She said, ‘Dad, I’m at a festival, there is a missile attack, and I’ve been shot.’ I relive that moment every single day, every hour.” He received the longest standing ovation of the evening — the applause continued for 30 seconds.
After his speech, Gonen told the Journal “Don’t let them forget Romi,” adding “Next time I see you, Romi will be here too.”
Scott “Scooter” Braun, a music executive and the visionary behind bringing the Nova Exhibition to Los Angeles, also spoke. “Oct. 7 was the largest music massacre in history, and so many were staying silent,” Braun said. Braun also spoke about meeting Gonen almost a year ago. “We have a responsibility now more than ever for fathers like [Eitan Gonen] to continue screaming for the hostages until they all come home. You told me we need to scream from the rooftops and I’ll continue to do so and I’m grateful to see you again and I look forward to meeting your daughter.”
Before the event, Rabbi David Baron of Temple of the Arts, which holds its services at The Saban, told the Journal that the event embodied a much-needed unity. “We brought the three major organizations together — JFEDLA, the IAC, StandWithUs — and 50 other organizations … That kind of collaboration is hard to achieve, but we did it because of the shared urgency to support each other. Tonight is about comforting each other and standing united at our loss.”
Rabbi Noah Farkas, the Federation’s CEO, told The Journal about his frustration with the international response to the conflict over the past year. “Many in the Jewish community are absolutely surprised and flabbergasted that the pressure to win this war only falls on Israel,” Farkas said. “No pressure has fallen on Hamas to surrender or release the hostages? Why hasn’t the international community taken up the mantle of truth and justice and forced Hamas to surrender?”
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