Tens of thousands filled Tel Aviv’s Yarkon Park on Tuesday night for the central national ceremony commemorating the second anniversary of the October 7 massacre. The event was aired live on national television and shown concurrently at a public screening in Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square.
Hosted by Ashira Greenberg and Tsahi Halevi, the event opened with a moment of silence and continued with performances. A video featured former hostage Agam Berger playing the violin, followed by a live performance from Yuval Raphael, a Nova festival survivor who went on to represent Israel at Eurovision.
Ceremony commemorating second anniversary of Oct 7 (Marva Sharon)
The ceremony featured the prayer of remembrance, reflections from bereaved parents, and deeply personal tributes from those who survived or continue to wait for loved ones. Rabbi Elhanan Danino, father of hostage Uri Danino, spoke as both a man of faith and a grieving father, while Mazi Elon, widow of Tal Elon, the Kfar Gaza emergency response commander, described a life rebuilt from ashes.
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Former hostage Omer Shem Tov, freed after 505 days in Hamas captivity, delivered one of the evening’s most moving speeches. “October 7 was the day our world changed,” he said. “From that darkness, a light arose — the light of people who didn’t give up, who ran to help, to save, to love.” He paid tribute to those murdered alongside him in captivity, including Ori Danino, who returned to rescue others. “After 505 days of pain and longing, I returned home. I learned what true resilience means — and what it means to love this country, its people, and life itself,” he said, dedicating his words to the 48 hostages still in Gaza.
Freed hostage Omer Shem Tov speaking at ceremony commemorating Second anniversary of October 7 (Alon Levin)
Viki Cohen and Anat Angrest, mothers of hostages Nimrod Cohen and Matan Angrest, read alternating letters to their sons — memories of childhood, army service, and a mother’s enduring hope. “My child, I swear to you: I will not give up,” Cohen said. “An entire nation is fighting for you.” Together, the women promised, “We will bring you all home — the living and the fallen — until the very last hostage.”
Galit Dan, who lost her daughter Noya and mother Carmela in Nir Oz, spoke of trauma and endurance: “It’s October again,” she said. “We do not seek revenge. We seek healing. To overcome fear and reconnect to our humanity.”
The final speaker, Yonatan Shamriz — whose brother Alon was killed after being taken hostage — called for accountability and renewal. “October 7 is not only a day of remembrance for those we lost,” he said. “It is a day of remembrance for failed leadership.” Promising a new era of unity and responsibility, he ended: “Our generation will rise. We will bring back life. We will bring back hope. The people of Israel have risen.”
The evening closed with Hatikva, Israel’s national anthem, sung by Omer Shem Tov — a returned hostage now symbolizing a nation’s unbroken spirit.