Campus Hillels Mark the Second Anniversary of October 7 with Memory, Resilience, and Community
Two years after the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023 — the deadliest single day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust — Hillel communities across the world came together to remember the lives lost, honor the hostages who remain in captivity, and stand in solidarity with one another.
For many Jewish students, the second anniversary brought both grief and a deep sense of connection. Hillel staff and student leaders created spaces that balanced remembrance with resilience, offering students not just a chance to mourn, but also to gather in strength as a community.
Kent Hillel: Honoring Memory and Fostering Connection
At Hillel at Kent State in Ohio, the second anniversary of the attacks coincided with the first day of Sukkot this year. With that in mind, staff and students designed a two-week series of programs that wove together remembrance, Jewish tradition, and opportunities for reflection.
Inside the Hillel building, a “Wings of Hope” craft table invited students to write notes to the families of the 48 remaining hostages, to families of fallen soldiers and first responders, or to place messages that staff will later carry to Israel and tuck into the stones of the Kotel, the Western Wall. A visual memorial display offered an educational space for students and allies to engage with the stories of October 7.
During the day on October 7, Hillel hosted an educational workshop entitled “Teaching Holidays in Multicultural Contexts,” bringing together students from Kent State, University of Mount Union, and Roosevelt High School (Kent), along with members of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe for a half-day workshop teaching about ancestral holidays. One student reflected, “Thank you for your willingness to share your cultures and religion with us. So much of the information I was not aware of.”
Then, that evening, students gathered in the sukkah for a “Taste of Memory” dinner, sharing recipes connected to some of those killed that day, a meaningful way to honor the holiday’s tradition of welcoming ushpizinm (sacred guests) into the sukkah while also holding space for a day of mourning.
“Students continue to seek Hillel as their safe space on campus. While Kent didn’t experience the same level of disruption and protest as seen on other campuses, neither have we been protected from anti-Zionism and antisemitism,” said Kent Hillel Executive Director Rachel Felber. “Students look to Kent Hillel to provide a welcoming and comfortable space to be their true selves without fear or need to hide a part of their identity.”
Kent Hillel will close the commemoration period on October 16 with a memorial program and facilitated discussion, giving students a space to share grief and process the events together.
Hillel at the University of Albany: Stories of Survivors and Acts of Honor
In New York, Hillel at the University at Albany offered students two opportunities to reflect and connect.
On October 3, students gathered on Zoom to hear from a survivor of the Nova music festival, Tomer Basis, whose three close friends were killed during the October 7 attack. During the conversation, Tomer reflected on the lives of his friends, including Lior Tkach, who loved to cook and had dreamt of opening a coffee shop. The conversation allowed students to listen, grieve, and ask questions in a supportive environment.
“Hearing Tomer share his story of surviving the Nova music festival on October 7 was deeply impactful,” said student Simone Silverberg. “His courage in recounting such a painful experience was very powerful, and reminded us of the importance of resilience, memory, and unity. This was an incredibly meaningful experience that I will carry with me.”
Later in the month, on October 20, Hillel will host a large public commemoration in the center of campus from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nearly a dozen themed tables will each honor a different victim of October 7, many with connections to UAlbany students and the surrounding community. Activities at each table will reflect the passions of the person being honored. For example, one station will invite students to assemble mini first-aid kits in memory of a victim who had been a dedicated Magen David Adom volunteer.
“Students still feel very connected to what happened on October 7 and want to keep the memory of those who were killed alive,” said Rabbi Nomi Manon, UAlbany Hillel’s executive director. “I also think it’s important to remind the general public that this war started for a reason, and the terror of October 7 was real and devastating.”
Rabbi Manon hopes the program will bring students together as a community, empowering them to express themselves and feel seen as active members of Jewish life on campus. She also notes a growing confidence among Jewish students. “We’re seeing more students than last year, and there’s less fear around attending Jewish programs or being visibly Jewish on campus,” she said. “We have been really leaning into the joy of community and students desperately want that – they want to connect with other students in an easy and fun way without the heaviness of the world hanging over them all the time.”
Boston University Hillel: A Campus-Wide Memorial at the Heart of Boston University
At Boston University, Hillel hosted two powerful commemorative programs in one of the university’s most visible gathering spots, Marsh Plaza.
On October 6, the eve of the anniversary, hundreds of students gathered for a memorial ceremony. The hour-long gathering included stories shared by students and Hillel’s two Israel Fellows, who had been in Israel on October 7 or whose friends and families were directly affected by the attacks. Rabbi Jevin Eagle, the university’s chaplain and BU Hillel CEO, also led the community in the mourner’s prayer of Kaddish, and the crowd joined together in singing “Kol Ha’Olam Kulo,” (“The Whole World is a Very Narrow Bridge”), and “Hatikvah.”
Then, on October 7, Hillel transformed the plaza into an all-day public display. A large screen marked the days hostages have been held in Gaza, with a banner declaring “Remembering Their Names.” Students on site handed out stickers printed with victims’ names for passersby to affix to a memorial wall. At the same time, 48 empty chairs, each bearing a hostage’s photo, sat in solemn rows surrounded by yellow ribbons. Fences were lined with posters bearing the faces of those murdered on October 7.
Thousands of students, faculty, and visitors walked through the display during the day. The experience gave Jewish students a visible space to honor their grief and pride in their community, while also inviting the broader campus to witness the magnitude of the tragedy.
Hillels of North Texas: A Week of Commemoration and Communication
Across Dallas and Denton, the Hillels of North Texas organized and partnered on several programs.
On Friday, October 3, students led a memorial ceremony at University of Texas, Dallas (UTD), created jointly by UTD and Collin College students with support from local clergy. Before the ceremony began, resource tables from Hillel and other local Jewish organizations offered students ways to process grief and learn about community support. Student leaders also shared stories of those killed on October 7, and read messages of resilience and hope.
Then, on Sunday, October 5, they hosted a community-wide walk in partnership with Run For Their Lives and an evening memorial with the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas.
“The event was a somber reminder of the tragedy that took place on October 7th – Hamas’ brutal massacre, the kidnapping, the pain that still lingers with us. At the same time, the event served as a powerful and moving commemoration and reminder of Jewish resilience,” said student and Hillel co-president Jade Steingberg. “Through the attendance of our Hindu and Christian allies, our incredible Jewish community, and faculty at the university, we are reminded that we are not alone. I am so thankful for Hillel at UT Dallas for organizing this incredible event.”
They will wrap commemorations on Saturday, October 18, in partnership with Hillel at SMU, Stand With Us, and local organizations, at a “We Will Dance Again” program featuring Nova Festival survivor Rom El Hai, who will share his story and then DJ a celebratory dance party for students and young adults.
Executive Director Abbii Cook noted that many students — especially at UT Dallas, where about 200 Jewish students make up a tiny fraction of a 35,000-student campus — were eager for opportunities to commemorate together and to feel connected to the wider Dallas Jewish community. “Students deeply appreciate opportunities to gather, connect, and celebrate together, finding community and fun even amid challenges,” she said.
Johns Hopkins Hillel: Prayer, Poetry, and Student-Led Testimonials
At Hopkins Hillel, students felt strongly that their commemoration should be held in a central, visible campus space where they could come together with resilience and pride.
“Commemorating October 7th is essential this year because our students continue to process both the lasting pain of that day and the realities of rising antisemitism on campus and beyond,” said Executive Director Monica Davis. “Coming together as a community provides a space for reflection, mourning, and solidarity, a reminder that they are not alone in carrying these memories. It also allows students to honor the lives lost, stand with Israel, and strengthen their Jewish identity in a supportive and visible way.”
On the anniversary evening, the community gathered in the Great Hall at Levering for a program that began with Mincha, a 30-minute prayer service, followed by a student-led commemorative ceremony. The service included heartfelt poetry, music, and film, with nearly 100 students attending alongside invited faculty and staff from across the Hopkins schools. A special highlight was a video message from Maryland Governor Wes Moore, who shared his unwavering support for the Jewish community.
“Being able to attend the October 7th commemoration put on by Hillel felt like a huge sigh of relief as I was finally able to focus all of my energy on the tragedy of that day without having to worry about the million other things going on in my life,” said student Ido Harlev. “Being there with my friends and my community to grieve together, support one another, and just acknowledge that we are still in this terrible moment but at least we aren’t alone, was extremely cathartic.”
“Walking into the Great Hall and seeing it transformed into an exhibition that simultaneously made me feel grief and hope was a perfect way to start what turned out to be an extremely moving and meaningful ceremony,” added student Leila Shafizadeh. “I’m still devastated about everything that happened on and since October 7th, but I’m immensely proud to be part of a Hopkins Jewish community that knows when and how to support and uplift one another.”
Through memorial ceremonies, symbolic displays, shared meals, and opportunities for dialogue, Hillel is helping students carry forward the memory of those lost, while fostering resilience and hope for the future.