As the nation approaches the one-year anniversary of October 7, 2023, Israelis are holding numerous cultural events and memorials to commemorate the tragic day. The grief from the attacks is still raw as communities gather to remember the 1,200 lives lost. With over 100 hostages still in Gaza and ongoing conflict, the nation reflects on both its grief and resilience.
The Israel Police will hold several ceremonies to honor fallen officers, spokesperson Dean Dover told The Media Line. These include unveiling murals and monuments dedicated to the 66 officers who lost their lives on October 7 and in the months since, recognizing what Dover described as an “astronomical” loss for the police force.
The events will focus on the officers’ heroism and provide a broader perspective on their critical role in the October 7 attacks.
Police involvement was like a bulletproof vest that stopped terrorists from getting to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem
“Police involvement was like a bulletproof vest that stopped terrorists from getting to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem,” Dover said. “The ceremony is an opportunity to allow their voices to be heard, their heroism to be heard.”
Dover also noted that the ceremonies would honor those overlooked in the chaos following October 7 and include a special English-language ceremony for the international community.
United Hatzalah, Israel’s volunteer emergency medical response organization, will hold an evening of remembrance on October 7. The event will feature performances by renowned artists such as Dudu Aharon, Amir Benayoun, and Loai Ali.
Together, we’ll transform our pain into purpose and memories into a mission for a brighter future
“On October 7, we will stand united to honor the extraordinary bravery of our volunteers and all Israeli heroes who risked everything to save lives on that horrific day,” United Hatzalah founder and President Eli Beer told The Media Line. “Through stories of bravery and songs of hope, we will remember our fallen, support our wounded, and pray for our captives. Together, we’ll transform our pain into purpose and memories into a mission for a brighter future.”
The Israeli military will hold two ceremonies on October 7, one at 11 a.m. to commemorate fallen soldiers and one at 1 p.m. to commemorate civilian victims. These events are part of a broader effort to reflect on the pain and loss experienced by Israelis as well as the national resilience in the face of terror.
At Jerusalem’s Western Wall, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz will lead a religious ceremony, including a special Selichot prayer and Torah dedication, with thousands expected to attend, including bereaved families, soldiers, and survivors of the attacks. The ceremony will also be broadcast worldwide. A special Torah scroll, initiated by Rabbi Rabinowitz and Haim Taib, will be inaugurated. The scroll was written over the past year in memory of the victims and has traveled to massacre sites, including the March of the Living 2024 at Auschwitz.
As part of the national commemoration for the attacks, the Israeli government is leading a main memorial event in the southern community of Ofakim. This official ceremony, supported by various cultural groups, will occur without a live audience.
An alternative memorial ceremony in Tel Aviv’s Yarkon Park will draw tens of thousands of attendees. This event, organized independently by families of victims and hostages, offers a space for those seeking a different form of commemoration from the government-led events.
Nava Rozolyo, a leader in the public campaign to replace the Israeli government, expressed grave concerns about the upcoming government-led October 7 memorial.
“The governmental ceremony is going to be edited, and it won’t be authentic in any way,” Rozolyo told The Media Line. “They want to control the content and the messages and to basically rewrite history, even though the families really protest against that. The government is trying to force rewriting history on what happened, and that’s terrible.”
Despite the fragile security situation, protests to replace the government and bring the hostages home continue across the country, Rozolyo said. “We still protest every week and sometimes every day, but every week, we have a very large protest in front of the army headquarters in Tel Aviv,” she said.
The Israeli people haven’t given up on Israel, on the hostages, or on our future
“We still have hope because where there is a struggle, there is hope,” she said. “The Israeli people haven’t given up on Israel, on the hostages, or on our future.”
Another alternative event will be held on October 6 in Hostages Square, the Tel Aviv plaza that’s become the center of protests to bring the hostages home. That event is set to be an intimate one styled after Holocaust memorials held in private homes that feature personal stories of survivors. The gathering will involve speeches from former hostages and relatives of those still in Gaza and acoustic musical performances.
At 8 pm in Hostages Square, a poignant panel discussion will be held featuring a released hostage and family members of those still in captivity. Participants, including Sapir Cohen, Ziv Abud, Noam Perry, and Hagit Chen, will share their deeply personal experiences from the October 7 attack, recounting both their survival and ongoing anguish.
Kibbutz Nir Oz, one of the hardest hit communities in the attacks, will hold several events on October 7 to commemorate the 117 community members either killed or taken hostage.
Shaked Cohen, the kibbutz’s spokesperson, said that the day will begin with a convoy to the kibbutz cemetery, where a memorial service will be held. An official ceremony aimed at adults will be held at 4:30 p.m. at Kibbutz Gat.
The afternoon event will be more family-friendly. “Children will be present at this ceremony, so the content will be suitable for them as well,” Cohen said.
The kibbutz community aims to remember both the 57 victims and the 29 community members still in captivity. Both ceremonies will be private, with limited media presence.
Kibbutz Be’eri and Israeli voluntary emergency response organization ZAKA also presented an innovative way to honor the memory of October 7 globally. It is the world’s first augmented reality commemorative tour for the events of October 7, offering a unique experience accessible from anywhere across the globe. As a preview before the app’s official launch, users can explore various locations and memorial stations highlighting the traumatic events, such as a section from Kibbutz Be’eri, which will also be used in front of the White House. The app—developed with Israeli mixed-place technology—aims to reach organizers of memorial ceremonies worldwide ahead of the October 7 commemoration, and recommendations are welcome.
Many Israelis are turning to films and books to help them process the events of October 7. One such film is Yariv Mozer’s documentary We Will Dance Again. The film offers a powerful look into the Israeli dance community’s journey to rebuild after the devastating attacks at the Nova music festival.
Another example is the IDF-produced film Bearing Witness. This documentary, crafted from actual footage of the attacks, including body camera and cellphone videos, presents the brutal reality of the day. Originally intended to be private, the film has been shown to international audiences to combat denial and ensure that the events of October 7 are fully recognized.
Seth J. Frantzman, a Middle East analyst at The Jerusalem Post and author of The October 7 War, noted the importance of documentaries and other forms of expression in commemorating October 7, especially from survivors’ perspectives.
“It is important for survivors to express themselves,” Frantzman told The Media Line, noting that people come to understand massacre, war, and trauma through different mediums.
Frantzman’s new book is meant to help people understand what Israelis experienced on October 7 and in the six months that followed. In the book, he reflects on the country’s emotional journey from helplessness to resilience.
He said that it will likely be years before Israel develops a shared social narrative of the events of October 7.
“The divisions in society will likely mean that it is harder to come to one understanding of this massacre,” he said.
Frantzman said disagreements about how much focus should be put on bringing the hostages home are one example of this division.
“In addition, many of the communities attacked on October 7 have not been visited by members of the Knesset, especially those from opposing political parties to those the communities vote for,” he said. “This means that it is hard to have a national understanding that transcends politics.”