October 7th Changed Our Lives Forever – Hillel Helps Us Live With Hope
In Israel, October 7th seems to be a day without an end. Since 2023, we have studied for exams as sirens sounded and missiles threatened our homes. Our classmates have been called away for reserve duty. We have lost people we loved and watched so much change before our eyes. Through it all, we have continued showing up for our family and friends, our communities, our studies, and our futures.
Like so many students, we seek the ordinary experiences of university life. We want to go to class, make plans for the weekend, and dream about our lives after graduation. But over the last three years, even the most ordinary moments have unfolded in a reality none of us expected. The attacks on October 7th changed Israel in ways we are still trying to understand, and their impact continues to surface every day.
For those of us who started university and joined Hillel communities after October 7th, we found ourselves navigating an ongoing war while adjusting to a surreal routine, with many of us grieving for those killed and praying for hostages who were still held in captivity. Through all of this, we were expected to study and work as usual.
Through this time of struggle, we were driven to step up and lead. In a reality where constant loss and trauma felt unavoidable, the urge to take action, bring students together to do good, and practice Tikkun Olam led us to a place of refuge at Hillel.
For some of us, that meant looking beyond Israel to our global Jewish community by joining Hillel International’s Student Cabinet. For others, it meant planning meaningful programs that provided Israeli students moments of peace, joy, and connection.
And over three years, we have found that when words lack meaning, being together is enough. There have been tears, laughter, and lots of hugs in our seven Hillel communities across Israel. We have found friendship and meaning when we needed it most. Slowly, as we processed tragedy, we also began making plans to move forward with intention.
This year, as we commemorate October 7th, we remind ourselves there is no right or wrong way to mourn on campus. Some will cry. Some will be silent. Some will want to talk. No matter how we express our emotions, we find comfort and strength in knowing that we are part of a Hillel community that extends far beyond Israel. Jewish students around the world are with us, whether they are standing right beside us or holding us in their hearts. We are not alone.
This week, a group of Hillel Israel students traveled to Canada to mark October 7th alongside their peers from Hillel Ottawa. The students first met on Zoom through an online Beit Midrash session, where they studied Jewish text together and shared how October 7th changed their lives. Over time, those conversations grew into meaningful friendships as they shared similar feelings and experiences from thousands of miles away.
Today, those students are standing shoulder to shoulder to mourn over 1,200 people who were killed and share how they navigated life on campus in the days and years that followed. For the Israeli students who made the journey, being together in person is a reminder that our Jewish communities on the other side of the world want to listen and learn alongside us.
Hillel has given so many of us a community of people who care and understand. We sometimes think of the Jewish people as a puzzle. Not one of us has perfectly smooth edges. We each carry our own experiences — grief and joy, fear and hope, questions and convictions. But when we come together, those imperfect pieces create something beautiful and strong. And when our Hillel connects us with Jewish students thousands of miles away, we are reminded that we are part of a global family.
That sense of connection gives us hope for what comes next. We do not want the story of Israeli students or the communities we call home to be defined by loss and war. We want to build relationships across different identities and perspectives, strengthen the places where we live, and take responsibility for the future we share. October 7th will always be part of our story, but it is not the end of it. Together, we can decide what we build in its aftermath, starting with communities rooted in hope and resilience.
Shalhevet Tzur Fisher is a student leader at Hillel Jerusalem. She shared this reflection for October 7th with contributions from Vered Gantman and Natalie Saadon, student leaders at Hillel Jerusalem; Inbal Harel, a student leader at Hillel Tel Hai, and Barak Ziv-El, a staff member at Hillel Tel Aviv.