DEERFIELD, Ill. () — Members of the Chicago-area Jewish community gathered Wednesday in Deerfield to commemorate three years since the Oct. 7 attack in Israel. The observance honored those who were killed or taken hostage while acknowledging the lasting impact of the war across Israel and Gaza.
A rabbi told the crowd that the anniversary should prompt more than remembrance, asking attendees to consider how they would act on the lessons of that day.
The anniversary marks three years since the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel, which left more than 1,200 people dead and saw more than 250 others taken hostage.
Yossi Held, executive director of StandWithUs Midwest, called Oct. 7 “the most tragic, horrific day” to occur since the Holocaust.
Held said the date carries several meanings for the community: a time to remember, remain vigilant and hold on to hope.
At a Deerfield synagogue, attendees viewed “Unbroken: Israeli Sports in Times of War,” an exhibition featuring the personal experiences of Israeli athletes and sports supporters affected by the attack and the ensuing war.
Alison Pure-Slovin, Midwest regional director for the Simon Wiesenthal Center, said the gathering was intended both to mourn the losses and to reaffirm the community’s presence and resilience.
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In Gaza, the war has caused widespread destruction, while the death toll has climbed above 74,000, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
Muhammad Sankari of the U.S. Palestinian Community Network urged people not to view the conflict as beginning with the Oct. 7, 2023, attack.
Sankari said Palestinian civilians continue to be killed in daily attacks and alleged that thousands of Palestinians, including medical workers, remain detained in Israeli prisons.
Although a ceasefire began nearly a year ago, Israeli strikes have persisted. The Israel Defense Forces maintains that those operations are carried out in response to threats and attacks.
Elad Strohmayer, Israel’s consul general to the Midwest, said the conflict is not over. Hamas has not been eliminated, he said, while Iran continues to pose a threat despite having suffered a reduced military capability.
A U.S.-brokered ceasefire remains largely stalled. Israeli forces control more than half of Gaza, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said troops will not leave until Hamas gives up its weapons.
For those gathered in Deerfield, the anniversary became both a memorial and a reminder that the conflict’s human cost continues to shape communities far beyond the Middle East.
