Watch: Civilian October 7 memorial ceremony

Israelis gathered across the country on Monday night to watch the civilian October 7 memorial ceremony, which organizers said was broadcast to over 300 communities around the country.

Wrecks of burned cars adorned the stage, and the names of the victims who died that day appeared in the backdrop as some of Israel’s biggest artists performed at the ceremony, several of whom were visibly upset, struggling to control their emotions.

Families of those slain and of the hostages, as well as those who experienced the horrors of that day shared memories of their families and stories from October 7.

Israelis at a packed viewing of the ceremony at Jerusalem’s Paris Square, one of three in the city, sang along, some breaking down as the stories of Israelis killed on October 7 were shared.

The ceremony included artists, participants, and stories presented by Israelis from across the spectrum of Israel’s diverse populations. Hamas’s terrorists did not distinguish based on religion, ethnicity, gender or political orientation, the presenters stressed.

Rabbi Shmuel Slotki, who lost two sons on October 7 when they were killed fighting in the South and who went on to serve in the reserves himself, read a Yizkor prayer at the opening of the ceremony, praying for the fallen and for the return of the hostages.

Families of fallen soldiers demand accountability

Rabbi Tamir Granot who lost his son, Capt. Amitay Zvi Granot, a commander in the 7th Armored Brigade who was killed near the Lebanon border on October 2023, followed the memorial prayer with Kaddish.

Yigal, the father of slain observer Cpl. Hadar Miriam Cohen, spoke at the ceremony before releasing 16 balloons in honor of the observers, and calling for the release of the other observers still held hostage by Hamas.

“She always took care of everyone else first, and in the end, she was abandoned to her death,” he said.

“I don’t know how to rise up from my own personal destruction,” he said, saying that he still could not fathom that this tragedy was related to him.

“The blood of our girls is crying out to us from the earth,” he said, stressing that he would continue to insist that those responsible for what happened would take responsibility.

Tal Shoham has been held captive in Gaza since October 7. His mother shared on stage the questions that his young children ask in their father’s absence: “When will dad come back? Will he be very old when he does?”

She called to bring the hostages home, saying that there would be no rebirth without them, as the audience exploded into applause.

She also addressed her son, “My Taltaloni, if you hear or see me, we all miss you so much and are doing everything to bring you and all the hostages back. We are not giving up on you and on all the hostages.”

Once again, the audience broke into applause.

Yovel Sharvit Trabelsi, whose husband was killed as the two were driving in the South on October 7, described her experience in a video shown at the ceremony.

She touched on the many difficult things she was exposed to that day, such as hiding in the car next to her slain husband after covering herself in his blood to pretend that she was dead too.

Kidnappings and rape were among the things that she witnessed that day she said. “I never heard cries for help like I heard from that woman,” she testified.

Family members of the Kapshetar family shared the harrowing story of finding out the fate of their loved ones in another video shown at the ceremony.

Nothing was known about the fate of Dina, Evgeny, Ethan and Aline Kapshetar, who were camping near Ashkelon until October 12, when the family said officials began knocking on their door.

On October 12, they were told that Dina was found dead. On the 13, they were told that Evgeny was found dead. On the 15, they were told that Eitan, age 5, was killed, and on the 18, authorities informed them that 8-year-old Aline was found dead.

Their family prayed that their loved ones’ deaths were quick, so at least they weren’t frightened before being murdered. “On Friday, they were there and on Saturday, the whole family was wiped out.”

“We will go back to visit the Darom Adom festival and to pick cherries in the North,” Israeli singer Rita Yahan-Farouz said, opening her performance of the song “Waiting.”

“The day we bring everyone back, we will feel that warm hug,” she added.

Another video depicted Carmel Gat, who was killed in captivity after surviving for nearly 11 months, and her mother, who was killed on October 7.

“It should not have happened,” Carmel Gat’s younger brother said.

“Carmel made a difference; she reached so many before. She is still reaching so many people now,” he added.

“Mom and Carmel, no matter where they are, are definitely together,” he said, adding that seeing the people who survived and made it back brings him comfort.

Revital Markovici, whose husband, police officer Arthur Markovici was killed defending civilians on October 7, expressed her pride as she heard more and more stories of his heroism and of those he saved.

Knowing that as he fell he allowed others to rise filled her with pride, she said in a video segment.

“Love and a person like Arthur is something you don’t find. It was special and it was ours,” she attested.

Yonatan Shamriz, one of the organizers of the ceremony whose brother was killed by IDF forces in Gaza after escaping his Hamas captors, emphasized the sense of abandonment that many Israelis feel.

Shamriz, the founder of the Kumu (stand up) organization for Israelis in the North and South, stressed that there should have been thousands gathered at the ceremony instead of just a small crowd sheltering from rockets due to the security situation. He underscored that there should be a state inquiry into the events leading up to October 7.

“There is no personal example, no vision, no leadership, no taking responsibility,” he said.

Shamriz recounted the story of his brother, saying that “in his death, Alon showed us the path and the hope.”

A new generation is rising in Israel that believes in a united and reformed society, and will rebuild the country better than it was,  he stressed.

“Kumu! Am yisrael chai.”

The ceremony concluded with a prayer for the return of the hostages and the singing of “Hatikvah.”

The ceremony, organized by bereaved families and civilian organizers and funded through crowdfunding, which raised NIS three million, featured prominent Israeli artists.

The ceremony was intended to be open to public attendance, and organizers say that 40,000 tickets were sold in the first few hours after ticket sales opened, but the security situation in the country forced organizers to drastically cut the number of attendees, prompting community screenings, which were widely viewed around the country.

Organizers also wanted to hold the ceremony in Israel’s South, the site of the horrific Hamas attacks last year, but ultimately moved the ceremony to the center following huge demand to attend, they said.

The ceremony, created by the public and planned to be open to it, is a strong symbolic counter to the state ceremony which will take place directly following it. Many Israeli citizens feel that the state was absent on October 7 and in its aftermath, leaving civilians to deal with the horrors on their own.

The year since October 7 has seen incredible efforts of civilian organizations, including civilian logistics and supply centers, civilian housing and transportation for evacuees and soldiers, the Hostages and Missing Family Forum, and many more incredible private projects that many feel replaced the Israeli government when it failed to care for citizens.