Transcript [00:03] Three years ago, on a Shabbat Sinha [00:06] morning meant for celebration, [00:09] terror came to Israel. 1,200 lives were [00:13] taken, families torn apart, communities [00:16] destroyed, hostages dragged into [00:19] darkness. [00:21] And yet, here we are together. [00:26] Because grief didn't break us. It bound [00:29] us closer. [00:32] Tonight, we gather not to relive the [00:35] horror, but to hold it. [00:38] To carry it together so no one carries [00:42] it alone. [00:43] We gather to say their names and to [00:46] honor the survivors. [00:49] This is what resilience looks like. Not [00:52] the absence of pain, but the choice [00:56] again and again to show up for each [00:59] other. Anyway, [01:01] tonight we light candles commemorating [01:04] all those that we lost. [01:08] And we join in the celebration of life [01:12] of one Am [01:15] Isel [01:16] united in memory and resilience. [01:21] Writers [01:36] of the history [01:38] stand with me. Look into my eyes and see [01:42] people go away but never say goodbye. [01:49] Someone stole the moon tonight. Took my [01:52] light. Everything is black and white. [01:55] Who's the fool who told you boys don't [01:59] cry? [02:03] Hours and hours and flowers. [02:09] Why [02:10] does time go wild? [02:16] Every day I'm losing my mind. [02:20] Holding on in this mysterious ride. [02:26] Dancing in the storm. We've got to hide. [02:32] Take me home and leave the world behind. [02:38] And I promise you that never again. [02:44] I'm still wet from this October rain. [02:49] October rain. [03:02] Living in a fantasy. [03:04] Ecasy. [03:06] Everything is meant to be. We shall [03:09] pass, but love will never die. [03:15] Hours and hours and flowers. Life is no [03:18] game for the cowards. Why [03:22] does time go? [03:26] Every day I'm losing my mind. [03:31] Holding on in this mysterious ride. [03:36] Dancing in the stor. We've got to hide. [03:42] Take me home and leave the world behind. [03:47] And I promise you that never again. [03:52] I'm still wet from this October rain. [03:58] October rain. [04:00] Oh. [04:23] Every day I'm losing my mind [04:29] in this mysterious ride. [04:32] Dancing in the storm. We've got to hide. [04:38] Take me home and leave the world behind. [04:43] Baby, promise me [04:51] that [04:53] again. [04:55] I'm still [04:58] October rain. [05:01] October rain. [05:44] Thank you Chiron and Eden for that [05:47] moving performance. Now please welcome [05:51] founding rabbi of Temple of the Arts [05:53] right here at the Sabon Theater, Rabbi [05:56] David Baronim. [06:06] Welcome everyone. We're so honored to [06:08] have all of you here tonight. It's so [06:10] great to see such a full house and a [06:13] commemoration of this important event. [06:16] Tonight, we express our thanks as we [06:19] will with the Israeli national anthem a [06:22] little later. But first, acknowledging [06:26] the support of our great nation from all [06:28] the way back when Harry Truman first [06:30] recognized the state of Israel in 1948 [06:34] to our current president, Donald J. [06:36] Trump standing with Israel in its battle [06:39] against [06:41] Islamic terrorism [06:44] and against the Iranian regime and the [06:46] existential threat it represents. How [06:50] its soldiers, our soldiers, stand [06:52] shouldertosh shoulder with Israel's [06:54] forces. Let's rise and join in the [06:57] national anthem. [07:07] Say [07:12] by the dawn early [07:16] light. [07:19] What so proudly [07:22] we held [07:25] at the twilight [07:28] last gleaming [07:32] who broad stripes and bright stars [07:38] through the [07:42] fight [07:45] or the rampart. [07:48] Hearts we watched [07:51] were so gallently [07:55] streaming [07:59] and the rockets [08:02] red. [08:06] The bombs bursting [08:10] in [08:13] gave [08:15] proof [08:17] through the night [08:20] that our flag was still there. [08:28] Oh, say does that star spangled [08:37] yet [08:42] or the land [08:45] of the free [08:55] and the Home [08:59] of the brave. [09:20] >> Please be seated every [09:22] >> Please be seated. Thank you. [09:33] So tonight first and foremost is about a [09:36] sacred duty that we as a Jewish people [09:38] have observed throughout our history. [09:42] The sacred obligation of remembrance. [09:45] The Torah says, [09:49] "Remember what the Amalachites did to [09:51] you when you wandered in the desert. [09:54] We remember their cruelty, [09:57] but their cruel cruelty is dwarfed by [09:59] the horror and the cruelty of October [10:02] 7th. [10:03] And we are commanded to remember and [10:05] never forget. [10:08] And as we remember, we come together in [10:10] unity because that akut that unity is [10:13] what gives us strength. It allows us to [10:15] comfort each other for our losses, but [10:18] also allows the seed of resilience to [10:21] grow in the fertile soil of memory. And [10:25] that's what we undertake tonight. We [10:28] also must remember very importantly that [10:32] we don't stand alone here in America. We [10:35] have friends and allies in the Christian [10:38] community, the Hindu community, the [10:40] Asian and Latino communities, [10:43] and [10:49] those allies are with us in spite of [10:52] what you may hear on college campuses or [10:55] in street protests. [10:57] That's the truth. That's the reality. [11:00] And truth has been inverted. The victims [11:03] are called perpetrators of genocide. The [11:07] perpetrators of genocide want to [11:09] whitewash and ignore crimes that they [11:12] videotaped and committed. [11:14] So our duty is also to remain true to [11:17] the facts and never allow those facts to [11:20] be forgotten. [11:22] And to do that, [11:28] And to do that, we have to insist on [11:31] honesty in confronting the violence and [11:34] terrorism and anti-semitism that we all [11:37] witness. The time for soft pedaling is [11:40] over. We have to confront reality [11:43] truthfully, openly, and honestly, and [11:46] then unite as a people and with our [11:49] friends [11:51] to allow that seed of resilience to [11:53] grow. [11:55] And we see what the state of Israel has [11:57] done, how much it's accomplished in [11:59] defeating terrorism. But the battle [12:02] continues. And we are not on the front [12:04] lines or the borders like so many young [12:07] Israelis are called upon to be. But we [12:10] have a role here in America to keep the [12:13] relationship and the bond between our [12:15] country and Israel strong and [12:17] unbreakable. [12:25] That is our mission. May God, may Hashem [12:29] watch over us and protect us. Protect [12:32] the Kaleim, the soldiers of Tahal of the [12:34] Israel Defense Forces. [12:41] the soldiers of our American forces in [12:43] the Middle East [12:49] and all people who join with us in this [12:52] important event of remembrance and [12:55] resilience. Amen. [13:12] And now, ladies and gentlemen, it's my [13:14] great esteemed pleasure to welcome in [13:16] his first public appearance speaking to [13:18] our greater Los Angeles community, our [13:21] new council general of Israel to the [13:23] Pacific Southwest, Modi Ephraim. Please [13:27] warmly welcome [13:35] Thank you very much, Rabbi Baron. Good [13:38] evening, ladies and gentlemen. [13:40] Welcome elected officials, my fellow [13:43] consils general, dignitaries for joining [13:46] us this evening. And most importantly, [13:49] welcome dear families who lost their [13:52] loved ones and survivors of that [13:56] horrible day. Please welcome them. [14:04] We embrace you and we can assure you you [14:07] will never be alone. [14:14] It is very emotional to look around the [14:17] this theater see all of you tonight [14:20] friends of Israel declaring we will [14:24] never forget October 7. We will never be [14:28] silenced. We will always rise. [14:32] Hutzba is in our blood and resilience is [14:36] in our DNA. [14:43] We are graced tonight with three Nova [14:46] survivors who fought to rise again. [14:50] Maya rev [14:54] lee sassi witnesses to the atrocities [14:59] welcome. [15:07] They are here to tell their story so the [15:10] world knows the truth. True heroes. [15:14] It has been three years since that dark [15:16] day. The horrific images will live with [15:20] us forever. [15:22] And the bravery and sacrifice of our [15:24] soldiers will never be forgotten. [15:29] They deserve it. [15:33] With each day, the cloud of grief over [15:36] the country is slowly lifting. At the [15:40] same time, we are constantly on alert as [15:43] we continue to battle a multiffront war. [15:48] The barbaric terror is waged funded and [15:53] backed by the Islamic regime of Iran [15:57] whose records of terror reaches back [15:59] decades from the bombing in Buonosiris [16:02] in the early 90s where I lost many [16:05] friends including David Ben Rafael, one [16:08] of my predecessor to the past three [16:11] years alone. Bondai, Washington, [16:15] Boulder, Manchester, Montreal. This is a [16:20] deadly roll call we all must vow to [16:23] battle and stop. [16:26] Anti-Zionism is fueling the highest [16:28] number of anti-semitic attacks since the [16:31] Holocaust. [16:33] Same poisonous fruit from the ever [16:36] growing tree of Jew hatred. [16:41] Dear friends, I've been looking forward [16:44] to working with this incredible, amazing [16:47] community. [16:49] Jerusalem knows the vital role you have [16:52] been playing in Israel's recovery, [16:54] beginning on October 8th, and you [16:56] haven't stopped. [16:58] This is the first Jewish New Year, [17:01] Roshashana, in three years that we do [17:04] not have hostages in Gaza. [17:08] Yeah. [17:14] And I know that everyone here never [17:17] stopped fighting for their release and [17:20] recovery. And on behalf of the state of [17:22] Israel, we are deeply grateful. [17:30] Tonight, dear friends, I want to share [17:32] with you a story I will never forget. [17:35] It is a story of Ruth Aran who reminds [17:38] me of my mother who is also named Ruth [17:42] and was also a Holocaust survivor from [17:44] Romania. [17:46] Ruth was living in Kibutsbury. [17:49] Three members of her family including [17:51] her son were brutally murdered. Seven [17:54] members abducted to Gaza. [17:57] And when she saw what happened in Beri, [18:00] she said it was exactly a shua because [18:05] only in the shaah babies were brutally [18:07] murdered out of pleasure. Women, [18:10] pregnant women killed or raped, homes [18:13] burned. [18:15] And Ruth said, "As a child, we ran away [18:18] and did not have a home. This time I [18:22] will not run away again. I will return [18:25] to my home. I want to go back home. [18:34] So now I would like to ask all of you, [18:38] we should have the strengths of Ruth, be [18:41] inspired by her and know that we, the [18:45] Jewish people, will never have to run [18:49] again because we have our home, our [18:52] eternal home, Israel. [18:59] Thank you. Am Israel Kai. [19:04] Thank you. [19:20] We'd like to say thank you tonight to [19:23] the wonderful organizations that helped [19:25] put on this evening. First and foremost, [19:27] stand with us for organizing [19:31] and sponsoring the memorial tonight. [19:34] We'd also like to acknowledge all the [19:36] partner organizations including the IA, [19:42] the American Jewish Committee, the [19:44] Council General, the Jewish Journal, Ben [19:48] Akiva, the Saroka Medical Center 18, and [19:52] our Temple of the Arts. We thank you [19:54] all. [19:59] Tonight we have a lot of elected [20:01] officials and dignitaries who are here [20:03] with us joining uh this this evening and [20:06] we want to thank them for tirelessly [20:08] ensuring that Los Angeles and the entire [20:11] United States never forget October 7th. [20:14] Thank you. [20:18] And lastly, we'd like to recognize [20:21] Council Member Bob Blumenfield, who has [20:24] ensured that our city hall in downtown [20:26] Los Angeles is lit blue and white [20:29] tonight in memory of those we lost. [20:33] Thank you. [20:52] Good evening everyone. [20:56] Good evening everyone. I'm Kimberly [20:59] Plutnik, regional director of the Los [21:02] Angeles region for American Jewish [21:05] Committee. [21:11] Thank you. and it's my absolute honor to [21:15] be with you here tonight. [21:18] For 120 years, American Jewish Committee [21:21] has advocated for the Jewish people [21:23] globally, strengthening Israel's place [21:27] in the world, combating anti-semitism, [21:30] and building partnerships that advance [21:32] security, democracy, and mutual [21:35] understanding. [21:39] On October 7, 2023, [21:43] in a single day, the worst massacre of [21:46] Jews since the Holocaust [21:48] shattered our sense of safety [21:53] and revived fears that many believed [21:56] belonged to history. [22:00] For many years, for many Jews around the [22:03] world, life is now measured in two [22:06] parts. before October 7 and after [22:10] October 7. [22:13] Tonight, we gather to remember. [22:17] We remember the more than 1,200 lives [22:21] taken on that day, [22:24] the young people at the Nova Music [22:27] Festival, [22:29] the families attacked in their [22:31] communities, [22:33] children who lost their parents and [22:35] parents who lost their children, [22:38] and all those whose absence is felt [22:42] every day. [22:45] We remember the hostages [22:47] those who survived and returned home and [22:49] those who did not. [22:52] And the families who continue to carry [22:54] their pain. [22:57] And we remember the soldiers who gave [22:59] their lives defending the people of [23:02] Israel. [23:04] May all their memories be a blessing. [23:12] October 7 exposed unspeakable cruelty. [23:17] But it also revealed extraordinary [23:21] courage and resilience and unity. [23:26] In the face of grief, our communities [23:29] stood together. [23:31] We mourned together. [23:34] We advocated together and carried one [23:37] another through some of our darkest [23:39] days. [23:42] That is why your presence here tonight [23:44] matters. and why we must must continue [23:48] to come together and stand united. [23:52] Tragedy may mark our history, but it [23:54] does not define our future. [23:57] The Jewish story is a story of [23:59] endurance, of rebuilding and choosing [24:02] hope. And we remember those we lost. And [24:06] we honor them by living with purpose, [24:10] standing proudly as Jews, strengthening [24:13] our community, and working towards a [24:17] future of peace and security. [24:21] Again, may the memories of all those [24:24] lost be a blessing. And may those who [24:26] continue to carry pain find comfort and [24:30] healing. and may we continue to draw [24:33] strength from one another. [24:35] Thank you again for being here tonight. [24:49] And I will now uh welcome Israel's first [24:52] special envoy [24:55] for combating anti-semitism [25:03] unless we have a change in the program. [25:08] No doubt our next speaker will be out in [25:10] just a moment. It's okay. [25:13] >> It is you. [25:14] >> I didn't know if I was going to be here. [25:16] >> It's okay. [25:22] >> It's good. It's good. [25:26] elected leaders, [25:28] dignitaries, [25:30] ladies and gentlemen, dear friends, and [25:32] most of all, most of all our [25:35] representatives today of that monstrous [25:40] day, survivors of NOVA and freed [25:44] hostages. [25:46] We gather here this evening [25:50] to commemorate [25:51] and to mourn the events of three years [25:54] ago. [25:57] And yet I ask you this, [26:00] what words can possibly be uttered [26:03] in a single ceremony from a single stage [26:07] that could pay tribute, [26:10] that could measure up [26:13] and that can truly uplift [26:17] the many victims of that terrible day. [26:20] In the face of such unspeakable, [26:22] unimaginable cruelty, [26:26] what can we say and do tonight [26:30] that could be worthy of the task before [26:32] us? [26:36] My friends, [26:38] what our people have suffered [26:41] on October 7th [26:44] and the joy and the celebrations [26:47] that our enemies around the world [26:50] parttook in on October 8th and [26:52] afterwards [26:55] defies [26:57] description. [27:00] And so let me suggest one way that we [27:02] can pay proper tribute to the events of [27:05] that day and properly honor the many [27:09] victims who suffered so much. [27:13] And that is not only to remember that's [27:15] a start [27:18] but to win. [27:20] We want to honor the victims. We honor [27:23] them by winning, [27:26] by vanquishing the enemies of [27:29] civilization who dared do to us what [27:32] they did to us. [27:35] That means winning in Gaza. [27:39] I'm happy to report that of the 6,000 [27:42] terrorists who crossed the border to do [27:45] their butchery [27:48] in Israel, 4,000 have been eliminated. [27:54] That means [27:58] >> that means that there are 2,000 to go. [28:03] >> And that also means that we have to [28:06] fulfill the mission and ensure that [28:08] Hamas is not in Gaza. Not only not in [28:11] charge of Ga in of Gaza, but not in [28:13] Gaza. We have to finish the mission. [28:17] It means that in Lebanon, [28:20] to honor the victims of October 7th, it [28:23] means that Hezbollah cannot be in charge [28:26] of Lebanon. And the missile threat that [28:29] they held over our heads for decades [28:32] has to be eliminated once and for all. [28:36] And my friends, it also means it also [28:38] means that the head of the snake, [28:42] the puppeteer of the terrorist proxies [28:45] across the Middle East, the Islamic [28:48] Republic of Iran, has to be relegated to [28:51] the dust pit of history. [28:56] If the monstrosity of the Holocaust [28:59] obligated us, obligated us to wipe Nazi [29:04] Germany off the face of the earth, I'm [29:06] not talking about Germany, I'm talking [29:07] about Nazi Germany from the face of the [29:09] earth, then the Islamic Republic of Iran [29:13] must be wiped off the face of the earth. [29:22] And there's one more front in that [29:23] sevenfront war. There's an eighth front [29:27] because in order to pay proper tribute [29:29] to the many victims and the unfathomable [29:32] suffering, [29:34] we have to win here. [29:37] Israel is doing its part. [29:40] But we have to win here. [29:43] Just as Israel has caused its enemies to [29:45] flee, we now must cause ours to flee. [29:49] Because the war here, it's not a kinetic [29:51] war, but it's a war nonetheless. [29:54] It's a war for the Jewish future, and [29:56] it's a war for American values. [30:02] And so let us resolve [30:05] tonight, especially tonight, [30:08] let us resolve that in their names. [30:12] And in memory of that terrible day, [30:16] we will put aside all differences, [30:19] we will come together. We will unify [30:22] and we will win to create that kind of [30:26] future that our children and [30:28] grandchildren. so deeply deserve a [30:32] future of strength and of prosperity and [30:34] yes eventually of peace, true peace. [30:51] And it is my distinct honor, truly an [30:54] honor, to call to the podium a friend, a [30:58] longtime friend, Israel's very first [31:01] special envoy for combating [31:03] anti-semitism, [31:04] best-selling author and renowned [31:07] activist who makes a difference, Noah [31:10] Tishbi. [31:22] Thank you. [31:24] Thank you so much. Good evening [31:27] everybody. Thank you. Stand with us and [31:30] thank you Soka Hospital and thank you [31:32] Mayga for being here. The incredible [31:35] doctors that are present here with us. [31:37] Dr. Abed Abuanim and Dr. Tvi Perry. You [31:41] were there. Yes, please. Thank you. [31:47] You were there on October 7th, Ed [31:50] Soroka. You took care of the wounded and [31:52] the dead. You embody for us what love [31:55] and coexistence is and what the future [31:58] of the Middle East looks like. Thank you [32:00] so much. [32:06] Three years. Three years since the worst [32:10] day in the history of the state of [32:12] Israel and the bloodiest day for the [32:14] Jewish people since the Holocaust. [32:17] Tonight, we honor the memory of those [32:20] slaughtered on October 7th and those who [32:22] have fallen since. We will never forget [32:25] them or the broken hearts of the [32:27] families that mourn them. [32:30] We remember even in a world where far [32:34] too many seem determined to forget or to [32:38] twist the truth of that day and [32:40] everything that followed upside down. [32:44] Now, in addition to the evil and [32:46] barbarism of Hamas, something else was [32:49] unleashed on that day. Terrorists were [32:53] still slaughtering their way through [32:54] southern Israel when Jews around the [32:56] world were hit with a barrage of hate so [32:59] seething, so violent it caught many by [33:04] surprise. And as the years went by, and [33:07] since that horrific day, the hatred and [33:11] the danger got worse. [33:14] And I want to unpack that. [33:17] Now, within hours of the massacre, we [33:19] saw organized demonstrations, student [33:21] groups, NOS's, and social media accounts [33:24] blaming Israel for the attack. [33:26] Immediately, immediately accusing Israel [33:28] of genocide and calling kidnapped [33:31] Holocaust survivors a matter of context. [33:35] We heard chance to free Palestine, by [33:37] all means necessary, from the river to [33:39] the sea, and calls to gas the Jews. [33:44] This hate was pre-planned. [33:49] It was the product of a deliberate [33:51] campaign decades in the making that [33:54] brought together a bizarre range of [33:56] social and political movements aided and [33:58] emedded by Islamist states and groups [34:01] over one cause, destroying the Jewish [34:05] state. [34:07] You see, after Yamipur war in 1973, [34:10] Israel's enemies realized that they [34:13] would not be able to take it down [34:14] militarily. [34:16] So, they shifted their strategy to [34:18] geopolitics and started playing a long [34:21] game, creating a worldwide campaign to [34:24] delegitimize Israel's existence. [34:28] An entire infrastructure of anti-Israel, [34:31] anti-semitic, anti-Zionist hate had been [34:34] built over decades. a powerful [34:36] propaganda ecosystem was primed and [34:39] ready to be activated. [34:42] By the time Hamas invaded Israel on [34:45] October 7th, many in academia, in media, [34:49] and postc colonial studies all over the [34:52] Western world already knew who to blame [34:56] for every evil. [34:58] It was simple for them. Israel is an [35:01] apartheite state, the last bastion of [35:03] colonialism. the Jews or Zionists are [35:06] agents of evil and the Palestinians are [35:09] the perfect underdogs without any agency [35:12] of their own and immune to any moral [35:15] scrutiny. [35:17] On October 8th, 33 Harvard student [35:20] groups signed a letter that they hold [35:22] the Israeli regime entirely responsible [35:25] for all unfolding violence. [35:28] That's not a normal response when [35:30] terrorists are massacring and kidnapping [35:33] young people at a music festival and [35:34] murdered families and their homes. It's [35:37] a moral inversion. [35:41] At that point, many could still see [35:43] reality clearly. Hamas committed an [35:46] atrocis a despicable atro atrocity. [35:49] Kamas committed an a despicable [35:52] atrocity. Israel was attacked and like [35:54] any other country in its place would [35:56] have to fight back and fight back hard. [36:00] But as the war in Gaza continued, many [36:03] people got confused. [36:06] The country attacked became portrayed as [36:09] the aggressor. [36:10] And the same people who on October 7th [36:13] refused to call Hamas terrorists [36:16] now demand that we call the war that [36:19] followed a genocide. [36:23] Now, let me say this clearly. [36:25] There is no genocide in Gaza. [36:35] There has been a war in Gaza. A war that [36:38] Israel did not choose but was forced to [36:40] fight. Is war ugly? Yes. Do innocent [36:44] civilians who have suffered deserve our [36:46] compassion? Yes. Have mistakes been [36:48] made? most likely and they should be [36:51] investigated. Does that constitute a [36:53] genocide? Absolutely not. And saying it [36:56] over and over again is not going to make [36:59] it a reality. [37:03] It's not. [37:07] Now, this abuse of language is not [37:10] rational or moral. It is becoming the [37:13] latest in a long line of purity tests. [37:17] call it a genocide or get harassed, [37:20] attacked, and cancelled. Once again, [37:23] like many other times in Jewish history, [37:26] Jews are being pushed out of the public [37:29] sphere. [37:31] We cannot become confused [37:35] not about this lie and not about the [37:37] other lies that they say about us. We [37:40] need to remember who we are. [37:43] Now, on October 7th, many Jews around [37:45] the world were jolted into remembering. [37:47] Even if they never set foot in Israel, [37:49] they felt that the attack was happening [37:51] to them. They just knew it. But since [37:54] that day, and as this war that forced on [37:58] us, But since that day, and as this war [38:01] that was forced on us continued, many [38:04] Jews got confused. [38:07] They started believing the lies, the [38:09] genocide lie. And again, they forgot who [38:12] they are. [38:14] So here's a reminder, [38:17] the Jews. [38:19] We are not a religion. [38:22] We have a religion. [38:25] Like the author Dara Horn says, it's not [38:28] complicated. It's just old. Jews are a [38:31] joinable group with a shared history, [38:34] homeland, and culture. There's a whole [38:36] sentence. That's a that's a whole [38:38] sentence in English, but in Hebrew it's [38:40] just two letters. [38:43] Um, [38:44] we are Israel. [38:52] Now, [38:55] they will tell you that they love Jews. [38:57] It's just Zionism that they hate. [39:00] They will tell you that if you call this [39:02] war a genocide, call Israel evil and [39:04] agree that it should be destroyed, then [39:06] only then as Jews, you will be accepted. [39:09] They will tell you that they love Jews [39:12] individually. They just don't like us in [39:14] a group. [39:16] But we are a group. [39:19] We are a people. We are um [39:24] now throughout history, Jews have been [39:26] told that they will be accepted as [39:28] individuals if only they renounce the [39:30] reality of who we actually are. And [39:32] throughout history, some Jews have gone [39:34] along with it. [39:36] Some are going along with it today. [39:40] Now, this isn't about whether Israel is [39:42] perfect. No country is. And it isn't [39:44] about whether you can criticize its [39:45] government. We can and we do. But that [39:49] is not what the anti-Zionist hate [39:52] movement is asking you to do. Notice [39:55] that what they demand is that you [39:59] separate yourself from your people, your [40:01] history, and your land. [40:04] They're asking you to define your Jewish [40:07] identity based on their terms, not on [40:11] your own. And who are they to tell us [40:15] who we are? It is up to us to remember [40:18] who we are. [40:20] So do not get confused. Don't [40:23] internalize this hate. They want to [40:26] shame you into saying what they want you [40:28] to say and being who they want you to [40:30] be. But that is not who you are. [40:34] That is not who we are. [40:37] We are Jews. We are a people with an [40:41] indigenous homeland in the land of [40:43] Israel. always have been and always will [40:47] be. [40:58] We have stood against tyrannies for [41:00] millennia and outlived them all. And we [41:04] will outlive the current tyranny as [41:06] well. Whether it's Hamas terrorists, [41:10] their kafia wearing fans on college [41:12] campuses, or their supporters running or [41:16] holding office, as long as we remember [41:19] who we are, they will never win. [41:28] Be strong. Be proud. Be Israel. I'm [41:34] Israel. [41:36] Thank you. [41:44] Thank you. [41:49] Even you, Mom Donnie. [41:58] And now to introduce our candle lighting [42:02] ceremony, please welcome the publisher [42:04] and editor-inchief of the Jewish [42:07] Journal, David Swisa, accompanied by Sam [42:10] Glazer on the piano. Thank you. [42:26] Do you know what I've been doing for the [42:28] past few minutes? I was in the back with [42:31] those who are going to be lighting the [42:33] candles. And all I can do is just tell [42:36] them that I love them. Because I really [42:38] do love them. And we're all here tonight [42:42] because we love. [42:45] and I came here tonight [42:48] to introduce our candle lighting [42:50] ceremony. [42:54] We're going to light seven candles [42:57] in memory of the precious lives that we [43:00] lost on October 7th and since. But [43:03] before we light our candles, I'm going [43:06] to ask all of you who receive that [43:09] little candle [43:12] to please light them now by flicking the [43:14] switch on the bottom of the candle. [43:17] I see a whole bunch of you doing it. [43:20] Must be the new generation. [43:24] So we can kindle together and fill this [43:27] entire room. [43:31] I have to tell you [43:33] it looks amazing. [43:38] Our first candle is in honor of our [43:42] fallen IDF soldiers. [43:57] More than 300 IDF soldiers [44:04] were killed on October 7th [44:12] and we've lost over 600 more [44:15] in the war since then. [44:24] These brave Israeli men and women of all [44:26] ages lost their lives defending our [44:28] people and our homeland. And we will [44:31] never forget their courage and their [44:33] strength. [44:35] Please welcome to light the first candle [44:38] in honor of the fallen soldiers from [44:40] October 7th and the war that followed. [44:44] Former IDF special forces combat medic, [44:47] our beloved Dean Golan Cohen. [45:06] I want to take a moment to [45:09] commemorate and remember my commander [45:12] Colonel Safami. [45:15] He was uh the kind of leader who made [45:19] the people around him want to be better. [45:22] Not through orders [45:25] but through the way he carried himself. [45:31] He led from the front and never asked [45:33] anything of us that he wasn't ready to [45:36] do first. [45:41] and he looked after the people under his [45:44] command as if each one of us was his own [45:48] family member. [45:50] In the hardest moments, his steadiness [45:54] was the thing that held us together. [45:58] We don't measure a man like Asaf Kami by [46:02] the years he was given, [46:05] but we measure him by what he leaves [46:09] behind. and in the soldiers that he [46:12] shaped [46:16] he is gone. Okay. [46:19] And uh he was killed during the Narim [46:22] attack on October 7, 2023. [46:25] And his body was kidnapped to Gaza by [46:28] Kamas terrorists. [46:31] He was among the highest ranking IDF [46:34] soldiers to be killed on October 7. [46:37] and his funeral in Israel was attended [46:40] by thousands. [46:42] May we honor him by living up to the [46:46] example he set and the standards he set. [46:52] In this moment, we remember all the [46:54] brave soldiers and police officers and [46:56] first responders who lost their lives on [47:00] October 7 in the war since then. [47:26] Thank you, Dean, for sharing the story [47:29] of this incredible leader. [47:31] Our [47:33] second candle will be lit in honor of [47:35] the murdered hostages from October 7th. [47:39] Of the 251 people kidnapped from Israel [47:43] into Gaza on that day, [47:46] 85 of them did not come home alive. [47:52] Our next candle lighter is one of the [47:54] treasured hostage survivors. [47:59] After being kidnapped from the Nova [48:01] Festival and held in Gaza for 50 days [48:04] with her brother, [48:07] she was thankfully released in November [48:09] of 2023. [48:12] She now travels the world telling her [48:14] story [48:16] which we all will hear later tonight. [48:19] To light a candle in honor of the [48:21] murdered hostages of October 7th, [48:25] please welcome our beloved Maya Regv. [48:46] We light this candle in memory of the [48:48] hostages who never came home. I light it [48:52] for Orianino and Guy Ilus the hona. [48:57] Ori and Guy were taken hostage on [49:00] October 7. [49:02] We shared captivity. We shared fear. [49:06] We shared the hope that one day we would [49:08] all make it home. [49:11] Some of us did. Orian Guy did not. [49:16] Tonight, I carry their memory with me as [49:19] I carry the memory of every hostage [49:22] whose life was taken in captivity. [49:25] We light this candle for them, for the [49:28] lives they lived, for the lives they [49:31] should still be living. [49:34] And for the families who will forever [49:36] carry them home in their hearts, may [49:39] their memories forever be a blessing. [50:02] He's still a medic. [50:08] God bless you, Maya, [50:11] for your bravery, for continuing to [50:13] share your light and your story with the [50:15] whole world. [50:18] We now light a candle in memory of the [50:20] hundreds of residents of the kibbutim, [50:22] the moshaveim, and the towns near the [50:24] Gaza border. [50:33] I hope I can get through this. [50:42] on the Gaza border who were murdered as [50:44] well as for the children who were [50:47] tragically [50:50] brutally murdered [50:56] on October 7th or afterwards in [50:58] captivity. [50:59] Please welcome [51:02] to light the third candle the chair of [51:04] the Israeli American Council in Los [51:06] Angeles, Adi Leatan. [51:21] Adiv Vital Caplun was sheltering in her [51:24] home in Kibut Kit with her two young [51:26] sons, four-year-old Negv and [51:29] fourmonth-old Echel [51:31] when Kamas terrorist broke in. In her [51:34] final moments, she called her husband to [51:37] ask how to operate his rifle so she [51:40] could defend her children and texted him [51:42] and her father not to come home. A [51:46] warning that likely saved their lives. [51:50] Adi was shot and killed in front of her [51:52] sons, [51:55] but not before she convinced the [51:56] terrorist to spare the boys and hand [51:58] them to a neighbor who carried them back [52:00] to safety. [52:04] We light this candle for Adi, a mother [52:06] who gave everything to save her [52:08] children, and for every parent who did [52:11] the same. [52:13] While we rejoice in the savior of Adi's [52:15] children, Negv and Echel, we of course [52:18] also mourn the children whose lives were [52:21] taken on October 7th. [52:24] We also dedicate this candle to Kir and [52:26] Ariel Bibbas. Children who should have [52:30] been laughing, [52:32] sleeping, and being tucked in by their [52:35] parents but never got the chance. [52:38] We remember Kir and Ariel and all the [52:41] children who were tragically murdered [52:45] and taken on October 7th. [53:04] God bless you. [53:07] For our fourth candle, [53:10] we remember the victims [53:12] of the Nova Music Festival. [53:22] The Hamas massacre at Nova [53:25] stole the lives [53:31] of 364 [53:36] young adults. [53:41] Beautiful young adults. [53:43] You can see their photos [53:46] right there. I was there [53:50] was the largest number killed at any [53:52] single location on that horrible day. [53:58] to light the candle in memory of those [54:00] we lost at NOVA. Our two NOVA survivors [54:04] whose stories we will hear later this [54:06] evening, our beloved Ram Elhai and Lee [54:12] Sassy. [54:24] I light this candle for the memorial of [54:26] my good friends. [54:30] Kzi wore with me my first music festival [54:32] in Israel. [54:35] 10 years I know this guy. I never saw [54:38] him sad. [54:40] Every weekend you can find him in a bar, [54:42] in a festival [54:44] or in Bloomfield Stadium cheering his [54:46] favorite team, Makab TV. [54:51] and Kzi [54:53] murdered while he tried to save others. [54:58] Eventually, he finished his short life [55:01] in the place that he liked the most on [55:04] the dance floor. [55:07] May his soul will rest in peace. [55:12] I'm lighting this candle on behalf of my [55:15] uncle Aasi. [55:17] He was a great man. Lived life to the [55:20] fullest. Drove on every highway and knew [55:23] how to say hi to everybody. [55:26] I'm also going to remember and light [55:28] this candle for my cousin Nitsan [55:31] who was pregnant at the time when she [55:33] was murdered and as well for her husband [55:36] Leor. [55:58] Sam Glazer, you're a beautiful soul. [56:03] Your music is piercing our hearts [56:07] and our souls that are already pierced. [56:11] Thank you, Rom and Lee, for your [56:13] continued courage and for keeping the [56:15] memory of October 7th alive throughout [56:18] the world. For sharing your stories and [56:21] the stories of those you love. [56:24] Our fifth candle is in honor of the [56:27] fallen civilian heroes that we've been [56:30] reading about for three years. [56:33] We've all heard the stories about the [56:34] brave souls who went there that day. [56:41] and sacrificed themselves to save [56:43] others. [56:47] Friends and family who drove down to the [56:49] kibbutim or the Nova festival site to [56:52] help fight back or rescue their loved [56:54] ones. [56:57] We've seen them in the movies and in the [56:59] stories. There are countless of them. [57:02] The stories don't stop coming. [57:06] Tonight, we honor all those civilian [57:08] heroes who put [57:11] their lives on the line that day. [57:15] To light the fifth candle in honor of [57:17] the fallen civilian heroes of October [57:19] 7th [57:21] is AJCLA board LA board president, my [57:25] good friend Vivian Alberts. [57:35] We light this candle for Neta Epstein. [57:39] Beautiful Neta, 22 years old, and his [57:43] fiance Irene. They were asleep in their [57:46] safe room in Kibutska Aza when [57:49] terrorists broke in and threw a grenade [57:54] through the door. Neta shouted grenade [57:58] and threw his body onto it to save [58:01] Irene's life as the terrorists fired on [58:05] him. As he fell, his body kept Irene [58:09] hidden from the attackers for the rest [58:12] of the ordeal. He saved her twice. [58:16] Neta's family lost eight members that [58:20] day. We light this candle for Neta, a [58:24] hero whose last act was love, and others [58:28] like him whose heroic last act was to [58:32] save others. [58:50] Thank you, Vivian, for sharing the story [58:52] of this amazing hero, [58:55] Neta. Our next candle will be lit to [58:58] honor the fallen first responders and [59:00] police who bravely gave their lives in [59:04] service of our people and our country. [59:09] To light this candle is our great [59:12] district attorney for the county of Los [59:14] Angeles, Nathan Hawkman. [59:27] We light this candle on behalf of Yarin [59:30] Pelle. Yarin was only 20, but she'd [59:33] already spent five years as a Munan [59:36] David Adom volunteer before she was [59:39] drafted. And she kept working shifts at [59:42] the ambulance station even after she [59:45] enlisted. In the army, she fought to [59:48] become a combat medic in the Gaza [59:50] envelope, choosing the most dangerous [59:53] posting because she wanted to protect [59:56] the community of Bead she grown up [59:58] serving. On October 7th, she was killed [60:02] defending the Nalo's army base. Found in [60:06] her pocket afterward was a note asking [60:10] that if she fell any Men David Odome [60:14] first responders at her funeral wear [60:17] their uniforms. [60:19] Hundreds did. We light this candle for [60:23] for Urein who asked even facing death to [60:27] be remembered as one of them. And for [60:29] all the first responders and police who [60:32] put the good of our people first. [60:50] Thank you, Nathan Hawkman, for sharing [60:52] that story. [60:54] I have to say, something's happened to [60:57] me in the last 25 minutes. I'm not [61:00] breaking down anymore, [61:03] like I did in the beginning. [61:06] The more I've been hearing these [61:07] stories, the more strength they give me. [61:10] That surprises me. I didn't expect it. [61:17] For our last candle, we honor the lives [61:19] of those who were lost to anti-semitic [61:22] violence in the three years since [61:24] October 7th. [61:27] It started the very day of October 7th [61:30] and the very day after the calls for [61:34] genocide happened way before Israel went [61:36] into Gaza. [61:39] If that's not a wakeup call, nothing is. [61:44] We know the attacks have been on the [61:45] rise. God knows groups like Stand with [61:48] Us and all the others have been fighting [61:50] it 24/7. [61:54] And we've already lost too many precious [61:57] lives to this violent hate. [62:01] To light a candle on behalf of the [62:03] victims of post October 7th anti-semitic [62:07] violence, [62:09] please welcome [62:11] community leaders. My dear friends Nati [62:14] and Debbie side off. [62:30] This candle sadly carries four names of [62:33] our lost souls. [62:36] In Washington, DC, Yuron Lashinsky had [62:39] just bought an engagement ring for Sarah [62:42] Mgrim when a gunman murdered them both [62:45] outside of a Jewish museum as they left [62:48] an AJC event celebrating peace building. [62:54] In Boulder, Colorado, 82year-old Karen [62:57] Diamond was burned in a firebomb, an [63:02] attack on a peaceful walk for the [63:04] hostages. She later died of her injuries [63:14] in Sydney, Australia. [63:17] Rabbi Ellie Schlanganger, [63:19] a father of five, [63:24] who spent 18 years telling his community [63:27] not to hide but to shine brighter, [63:31] was killed [63:33] while hosting his own community's Hanuka [63:36] candle lighting on Bandai Beach along [63:40] with 14 others from his community. [63:43] We light this candle for Yon Sah Karen [63:47] and Rabbi Ellie and all the victims of [63:51] deadly anti-Jewish hatred since October [63:55] 7. [64:24] Thank you, Debbie and Nati. [64:28] Seven candles now burn on this stage. [64:34] Each one of these candles carries the [64:36] names we spoke about tonight. But behind [64:39] every one of them, there are hundreds [64:42] and hundreds of names that we have not [64:45] named tonight. [64:47] And those names are as engraved in our [64:50] hearts and souls as the names that we [64:53] did name. [64:56] These are not numbers. [64:59] 1,200 is not a number. 251 [65:11] is not a number. [65:14] It's 251 worlds [65:18] and 1,200 worlds. [65:24] These were sons and daughters, parents [65:26] and grandparents, friends and partners [65:28] with their whole lives ahead of them. [65:34] And although I told you I was gaining [65:36] strength, [65:38] it came back. [65:42] So I'd like to ask all of you, all of us [65:46] to please rise if you are able and join [65:50] me in a moment of silence to remember [65:53] these beautiful souls. [66:40] Thank you. [66:49] As long as we remember the people we [66:51] have lost, they're never gone. [66:54] May their memories always be for a [66:56] blessing, but may their memories also [66:59] become a source of strength, [67:04] of compassion, [67:06] of joy, and yes, even of unity for all [67:11] the Jews of the world. [67:14] Now please remain standing which means [67:18] come back up [67:23] as we invite the great caner Nathan Lamb [67:28] to recite El Malim [67:31] in honor of all those we've lost. [67:47] Show [67:49] me [68:08] what the holy [68:17] Mother [68:35] be on [68:39] Then [69:05] hyra I [69:08] can [69:36] be a new shalom. [69:50] Then more [69:57] then more. [70:00] Amen. [70:22] Eloh. [70:30] Hello. [70:33] for [70:48] Fore [71:12] speech. [71:15] Fore! [71:27] Foreign! Foreign! [72:05] My [72:27] I said sh [72:42] Fore! [73:00] Foreign! Foreign! [73:16] Not [73:35] my [73:44] I smell. [74:06] myself. [74:22] We are [74:33] shore. [75:01] I said [75:03] A man [75:11] say she [75:22] My [75:24] son. [75:50] And now, please welcome co-founder and [75:54] CEO of Stand with Us, Roz Rothstein. [76:07] Thank you Eden and Chaon for your [76:10] powerful rendition of Shma Israel. Wow. [76:15] Wow. [76:18] The melody and the words cut right [76:21] through us. I cannot imagine a song [76:24] whose words better reflect so many of [76:28] the human responses to the horrors of [76:31] October 7th and the nightmares of being [76:34] held hostage in the dark tunnels of Gaza [76:38] and all those terrifying moments that [76:40] followed for so many people and so many [76:43] families for so long. I have no doubt [76:48] that in those moments people cried out, [76:51] "Oh God, strengthen me so I won't be [76:55] afraid." [76:56] The pain is too great. There is nowhere [77:00] to run. Make it end. I have no strength. [77:04] Yet somehow the survivors found the [77:07] strength. The tortured family members [77:10] praying for the return of their loved [77:12] ones found the strength. As the song [77:16] tells us, in the worst moments, the soul [77:19] screams, "Here, O Israel, Schma, Israel, [77:23] I am alone." [77:26] The pain is too great. [77:29] Those words reach deeply into us because [77:33] most of us in this room are Jews. [77:36] And thank you to those of you who are [77:38] not Jewish who are here with us tonight. [77:49] Jewish people know what it means to be [77:52] targeted. Throughout history, Jews have [77:55] been expelled, forced, and trapped into [77:58] ghettos, made to wear identifying [78:01] symbols so everybody knows we're Jews. [78:04] We were massacred in poggrams, and [78:07] ultimately subjected to the to the [78:09] genocide of the Holocaust. And even [78:12] today, Jews continue to face [78:15] anti-Semitic hatred and violence across [78:18] the United States and around the world. [78:22] We are not new to being targeted. [78:25] But that's why standing together as we [78:28] are tonight matters so much because [78:32] people can try to break us, [78:35] but when we unify, we become a fortress. [78:40] Our brothers and sisters who were [78:41] savagely murdered on October 7th had [78:45] plans for the next morning. [78:48] Birthdays ahead, weddings, careers, [78:51] children to raise, [78:54] songs still to sing. We will never ever [78:58] forget them. [79:00] For two long years, October 7th remained [79:03] an open wound while hostages were still [79:06] being held in Gaza. And then came an [79:10] extraordinary moment. They had been [79:13] taken from us on Sim Torah. And 738 days [79:18] later, the final 20 living hostages came [79:22] home together on the eve of that very [79:26] same holiday, Sim Torah. [79:34] As we well know, Israel has its own [79:38] sense of justice and even a little or a [79:41] lot of a defiant sense of humor. [79:46] Hamas had turned Simat Torah into a day [79:49] of horror. Yet two years later, Israel [79:53] reclaimed it as a day of return. Thank [79:56] God. [80:01] Tonight we remember those who did not [80:03] come home and we embrace those who did [80:07] and we honor the survivors who are still [80:10] working every single day to survive what [80:13] they endured. We are now going to hear [80:16] from three extraordinary survivors of [80:19] October 7th. Please welcome first to the [80:22] stage Rahm El Khai who will share his [80:25] story of survival with us. Thank you. [80:51] October 7:23 was a journey, a journey [80:55] between light and darkness, between good [80:57] and evil. [80:59] between happiness to trauma, [81:01] a journey between life and death. [81:07] My name is Rome and I survived the Nova [81:09] Music Festival [81:11] for [81:21] for 10 years. I've been traveling the [81:23] world and go to music festivals. For me, [81:26] it was a love for a foresight. [81:29] That's where I feel the most free and [81:31] secure. [81:34] Two friends and I decided to go to the [81:35] Nova Music Festival to celebrate the [81:38] holiday. [81:39] We arrived there at 2:00 a.m. The [81:42] bouncer who let us in was a beautiful [81:44] young woman named Sha Gabby. [81:48] When the attack began, Sha hided behind [81:51] the an ambulance with a few people after [81:55] the terrorist shot her twice in the left [81:57] leg. [81:59] And then they fire RPG missile into the [82:03] ambulance. [82:05] No one survive. [82:07] May God avenge her blood. [82:12] >> Back to the story. We entered to the [82:15] festival and I saw people laughing, [82:18] smiling and just enjoying themselves. [82:21] From there we went to the dance floor [82:24] and for me the dance floor is holy. It's [82:28] the place wherever I can feel the most [82:29] free. It's the place wherever you can [82:32] forget about your problems, forget about [82:33] your life and just live the moment. [82:38] The dance floor is the only place in the [82:40] world wherever you can lose yourself [82:43] in peace. [82:48] Uh this is me by the way in festival. [82:50] I'm also doing a light and fire show. [82:53] I'm performant a lot. So if we have [82:56] events soon I'm open for reservation. [83:04] Just one hour after we took that video [83:08] uh we heard the first siren. [83:10] That was the the moment that music [83:12] stopped. [83:14] I never seen happiness and joy turn to [83:16] panic and sadness so quickly. [83:20] We ran to find a shelter while we [83:22] exploded the u massive fire. At first we [83:27] hiding between two cars [83:35] here. I'm talking with my uncle. I told [83:38] him that I'm in a safe place and there [83:40] is a lot of military and people with me [83:43] and I will be back soon. Don't worry. [83:55] >> But in reality it's actually was look [83:57] like that. [84:01] We were alone [84:03] just me and my two friends. [84:06] We taking cover from bullets that [84:08] whistling over our heads. [84:10] No army was there and we were everything [84:15] but safe. [84:19] Later we decided to hide in the bushes. [84:23] We were hiding there without any ability [84:26] to defend ourself. Not even a bottle of [84:29] water. [84:32] Next to us I heard someone die. [84:37] I heard the bullet come out from the [84:39] gun. [84:41] Someone get shot [84:43] and he was ch start choking and that's [84:45] it. I realized he's dead. [84:49] But after I heard him die, I heard a lot [84:52] of celebration scream like uh Ali Akbar [84:57] and sounds of happiness and joy. You [85:00] know what? It feel like a birthday [85:01] party. [85:04] So I realized in that moment that if [85:05] they find us even to ask for a mercy is [85:09] not an option because for them to kill [85:12] Jews is fun. You just make them laugh. [85:25] After long hours of suffering in the 10 [85:26] seat without sleep, eat or drink, [85:31] we found a police officer who took us to [85:33] Masul village which was safe. [85:36] Masul is an orthodox Jewish community. [85:38] The people there welcome us and they [85:40] offer us food and they even let us into [85:43] their houses and to take a shower and [85:45] use electricity. Even that it was [85:47] Shabbat. They didn't ask any question. [85:51] They just wanted to help. [85:54] From there a bus took us to Bereva. [85:57] We met survivors from other places. [86:00] Also parents came search for their [86:03] children. [86:05] Some of them didn't find them. [86:08] I remember crying, [86:11] screaming [86:13] the hopeless. [86:17] It was horrible to be there. [86:22] After the long hours, good people [86:23] volunteered to take us to the north and [86:26] I managed to get back to my hometown [86:28] Atana around 11 p.m. [86:32] There I saw my mother for the first [86:34] time. I gave her a big hug and believe [86:38] me, it was not a happy moment. I felt [86:42] shame. I felt guilt. [86:46] I felt humiliated. [86:49] I'm hugging my mother [86:51] and all I'm thinking about is the other [86:53] people that still [86:56] not hugging their mothers. [87:02] October 7th end with a big darkness and [87:06] since October 8th we all had a new [87:09] mission is to bring the light again. [87:21] Just a week after October 7th, good [87:23] people opened a special place for us, [87:26] specifically for those who survived the [87:27] Nova Festival. [87:29] Therapists, singers, spiritual figures [87:31] came and give us uh support. [87:35] None of this would happen without the [87:37] desire of people to help others and [87:40] without [87:42] your donation and support. [87:46] Thank to this place, I was able to rise [87:48] up myself from scratch. This place touch [87:51] me teach me the power of unity, the [87:54] power of giving without asking back and [87:57] that I'm not alone. [88:00] Four months after October 7, I got an [88:02] opportunity to come here to United [88:04] States for my first time and to share my [88:06] story. [88:08] I came here for the first time in my [88:10] life alone, [88:12] confused [88:14] with a very bad English. [88:18] For me, the mission was to give a proof [88:21] of what's happened, to let people ask [88:24] any question that they want, but mostly [88:27] to be voice for those who can speak and [88:30] to be voice for those who will never [88:32] speak again. [88:40] My journey here was also the first time [88:42] that I get to know the Jewish diaspora. [88:45] I cannot describe the love and support [88:46] that I that I was getting. It feel like [88:49] I discover a new family. And if there is [88:53] one good thing that October 7 bring is [88:56] the reconnection between Israelis and [88:57] the Jewish that live in the diaspora. [88:59] and it's exposed how much we love [89:01] support but mostly depends one of each [89:06] other and that's what we should keep our [89:07] focus on [89:11] I want to mention that people that you [89:13] see here on the screen [89:16] I want to make a point [89:19] those people didn't got killed our [89:22] brothers sister sister was murdered and [89:25] they were brutally slaughtered by evil [89:27] terrorists their only sin in was being a [89:30] Jewish [89:32] just like most of you here. [89:36] So how we how we prevent the next [89:38] October 7 in my perspective it doesn't [89:42] depends on the US presidents or the [89:45] Israel government not even the IDF the [89:48] next October 7 will happen only if we [89:51] will forgot if we divide and if we [89:54] forgive [89:59] behind me you can see people who survive [90:02] October 7th but didn't survive the life [90:05] with October 7th. [90:07] Many survivors still dealing with huge [90:09] trauma and PTSD. And yes, so do I. [90:14] And here this gathering is a big [90:16] reminder to that no one should be left [90:19] behind. [90:27] And I know there is many people here [90:29] from from different places and different [90:32] religions. But now, now is the moment of [90:36] truth. Now is the time to show to the [90:38] rest of the world that we are unite. [90:40] That we are not divided. That in the war [90:43] against anti-semitism, racism and [90:46] terrorism, we are not we are not [90:49] different. We are one. [90:59] And that's it. One last thing before I [91:02] end. I want to take advantage this stage [91:05] and specifically this day to say to all [91:08] our enemies and I will say it loud and [91:11] clear. [91:14] We will not let hatred win [91:16] and we will never stop dancing. [92:06] Thank you, H, for sharing your powerful [92:08] story with us tonight. And now to tell [92:12] her story of survival at the Novo Music [92:15] Festival on October 7th, please welcome [92:19] Lee Sassy. [92:30] Good evening everybody. My name is Lee [92:32] Sassi. I'm 28 years old, born and raised [92:35] in Los Angeles, California. I'm an 818 [92:38] girl. [92:44] On October 2023, I was in Israel [92:47] vacationing, vis visiting my family [92:50] members. My dad, he's Israeli from [92:52] Natana, and he comes from a huge family, [92:55] one of 12 brothers and sisters. [92:58] You can imagine how many cousins I have. [93:01] In fact, I think we're like 80 just on [93:04] my dad's side. It's insane, but it's [93:07] beautiful during the holiday times. Um, [93:09] speaking of family, one of my cousins [93:12] back in Israel, he is a music producer [93:14] and a DJ and he was producing the Nova [93:16] Music Festival at the time. He reached [93:19] out to all of the cousins and invited [93:21] everyone. Because I was on vacation, I [93:24] didn't have any friends there. So, I was [93:26] like, "Okay, let me reach out to my [93:27] cousins and see if I can go with them." [93:30] My uncle Avi Sassi who's also and was a [93:33] native LA native. He happened to have [93:36] been in Israel during the holiday time [93:38] of October 2023. And if you don't if you [93:41] know anything about Avi, he's 21 years [93:44] young, but actually 65 years young. [93:48] Avi Avi lived life to the fullest. He [93:51] really knew how to to to live up. He [93:54] enjoyed partying. He enjoyed it. He [93:56] enjoyed people. He was a people pleaser. [93:59] He knew I had to make everyone happy. [94:00] And if anyone knew Avi in this room, I'm [94:02] sure you can agree and back up with me [94:04] on that. [94:10] I reached out to A's daughter, Danielle [94:13] Sassi, and I asked her if I can join [94:14] them to the Nova Music Festival. They [94:16] said, "Of course." So, on their way to [94:19] the Nova, they stopped in Ashcolon, [94:21] where I was located, and they picked me [94:23] up. On the way to the party, my uncle [94:27] Avi was freaking out. He was like, "Do [94:30] you see those lights by the gate? That's [94:32] the border of Gaza." And from there then [94:35] and he was kind of paranoid even towards [94:39] the way to the party. Because he gave me [94:42] this thought of like, "Oh, wow. We're by [94:44] the by the I started looking outside of [94:47] the window and stopped paying attention [94:49] to the conversation." And on the way to [94:51] the Nova Music Festival, I noted I [94:54] noticed at every bus stop, there was [94:56] about a bomb shelter at each bus stop. [94:59] We arrived to the party, we danced until [95:02] sunrise [95:04] and when the sun hit the horizon, [95:07] I looked up in the sky and I noticed [95:09] fireworks. As an LA native, it looked [95:12] like fireworks, but it wasn't fireworks. [95:15] There were rockets. The music was still [95:18] playing, but we all fled out of the [95:20] party. [95:22] My uncle's initial instinct was to find [95:24] a bomb shelter to recover until the [95:26] rocket stopped. Because I remembered [95:29] seeing the Migonit on the way to the [95:31] party, I directed Avi, my uncle, to the [95:33] bomb shelter. [95:36] My cousin Nitsan, who was five months [95:38] pregnant at the time, and her boyfriend [95:40] Leo, we told them to follow us. But [95:43] unfortunately with all the chaos that [95:45] was happening around us, they fled to a [95:48] different bomb shelter. The one with the [95:50] bird. [95:54] We pulled up to this bomb shelter that [95:56] we were at. It was outside of Kibbutz B. [95:58] It had a girl with bubbles on it and we [96:01] were standing there. [96:03] The terrorists arrived and they started [96:06] attacking. [96:07] They entered into the bomb shelter and [96:09] started to throw hand grenades. My uncle [96:12] Avi was standing by my side when the [96:15] second grenade was thrown and instantly [96:18] Avi jumped onto the grenade and he took [96:20] the explosion in front of me, protecting [96:23] me until his last breath. [96:27] I had to go through this terror for [96:30] eight hours straight until a father and [96:32] a son came and saved his daughter that [96:35] was also with me in the bomb shelter. [96:38] You can imagine how much PTSD I suffered [96:40] till this day. But I will tell you this, [96:43] the body adapts and we're much stronger [96:46] than we think. [96:49] Thank you so much for listening to my [96:51] story of survival. And thank you all for [96:53] being here, listening and being and [96:55] being part of us. [97:05] Thank you, Lee, for sharing your story [97:07] with us tonight. [97:10] Now, to tell her story of survival [97:13] through Hamas captivity is hostage [97:16] survivor Maya Vegev. [97:29] >> Shalom. [97:31] My name is Mayv. Three years ago today, [97:35] I was 21 years old. I was at I was at [97:38] the Nova Festival with my friends and my [97:40] little brother, Itai. We were dancing. [97:43] We were celebrating. We were free. [97:47] And then at 6:29 in the morning, [97:51] everything changed. Rockets filled the [97:54] sky. Terrorists surrounded us. We ran [97:58] for our lives. [98:00] There is one person whose name I need [98:02] you to know tonight [98:08] was already escaped the Nova. He was on [98:11] his way to safety when he learned that [98:14] Omar Itai and I were still there. [98:18] So he turned his car around. He drove [98:21] back into the danger just to save us. [98:25] Or he was ultimately kidnapped, too. [98:29] Ori survived almost 11 months in [98:31] captivity before he was murdered. [98:34] I will carry gratitude for Ori for the [98:36] rest of my life. [98:38] He came back for us. [98:41] He risked his life for ours. [98:44] I will never forget him. [98:47] That morning I was shot in the leg. Itai [98:51] and I were kidnapped and taken into [98:52] Gaza. Then we were separated. [98:57] I was taken to a hospital in Gaza. There [99:00] I met Guy Ilus, another hostage. [99:03] Guy had been shot several time and taken [99:06] into Gaza after watching his friends [99:08] die. He survived for a week without [99:11] medical treatment. [99:13] On October 14, Guy died from his wounds [99:16] right beside me in front of my eyes. [99:21] Watching Guy die from wounds that could [99:24] have been treated showed me the depth of [99:27] their cruelty. [99:29] The complete disre disregard that they [99:33] had for human life. [99:36] I had badly I was badly wounded. But the [99:39] worst part was not knowing where my [99:41] little brother was or whether he is [99:44] alive. [99:46] from captivity. I wrote a note to it and [99:49] our friend Omar [99:51] and somehow a note came back. [99:55] I recognized the handwriting [99:58] in a place where almost everything had
[100:00] been taken from me. Those few words gave
[100:03] me something they could never take away.
[100:07] Hope.
[100:09] After 50 days, I was released.
[100:12] My injuries were too severe for me to go
[100:15] home. So, I was taken directly to Soroka
[100:17] Medical Center and into surgery.
[100:21] For 50 days, I've been surrounded by
[100:24] people who wanted to break me. At
[100:26] Soroka, I was surrounded by people
[100:29] determined to put me back together.
[100:32] And four days later, Itai came back.
[100:36] He was brought to Soroka, too.
[100:39] I cannot explain what it felt like to
[100:42] hold my little brother after wondering
[100:44] if I would ever see him again.
[100:47] We were kidnapped together, separated in
[100:50] Gaza, and at Soroka, we found each other
[100:54] again.
[100:57] Three years later, my leg is still
[100:59] healing and so am I. But this October 7
[101:04] is different. For the first time since
[101:07] that morning, every hostage is home. The
[101:10] living were returned to their families
[101:13] and those we lost have been brought home
[101:15] to rest.
[101:17] It is something we prayed for and fought
[101:20] for. And it has finally allowed us to
[101:23] begin to heal. But being home does not
[101:27] mean we are whole.
[101:30] The wounds of October 7 are still raw.
[101:34] They are carried by survivors learning
[101:37] how to live with what happened to them,
[101:40] by those whose bodies were changed
[101:42] forever,
[101:44] and by families who will forever have an
[101:47] empty chair.
[101:49] October 7 did not end October 7, but
[101:54] neither did we.
[101:57] They tried to destroy us that day. They
[102:00] tried to take our families, our sense of
[102:03] safety, and our future.
[102:07] They failed because we carried one
[102:10] another. We fought for one another.
[102:14] We brought our people home. And even
[102:17] after everything that was taken from us,
[102:20] we choose life.
[102:23] Tonight,
[102:25] I remember.
[102:28] I remember gyus.
[102:30] I remember everyone who cannot stand
[102:33] here with us.
[102:35] And I am forever grateful to all of you
[102:38] who stood with us, spoke our names,
[102:42] prayed for us, and refused to let the
[102:44] world forget us. Three years ago, they
[102:48] tried to take my life.
[102:51] Tonight, I'm standing here.
[102:55] My brother is home. I am alive.
[102:59] We are still here.
[103:25] The massacre of October 7th was the
[103:28] largest terror attack in Israel's
[103:30] history, the worst Israeli civilian
[103:32] massacre ever, and the deadliest single
[103:35] day for the Jewish people since the
[103:36] Holocaust.
[103:38] Yuval Raphael, the singer of our piece,
[103:41] was one of the lucky ones who survived
[103:43] the Nova massacre and ended up
[103:45] expressing her experience through song.
[103:48] Keshet Kaim now brings you New Day Will
[103:51] Rise, a story not about that dark day,
[103:54] but one of resilience and hope for the
[103:57] better days to come.
[104:08] And even
[104:13] the rainbow in my sky. My colors in the
[104:16] gray. My only wish upon a star. Sunshine
[104:20] in the day. The only song that my piano
[104:25] ever plays. And even if you say goodbye,
[104:28] you'll always be around to lift me up
[104:31] and take me high. Keep my feet close to
[104:34] the ground. Are you proud of me tonight?
[104:38] Dreams are coming true. I choose the
[104:41] light. Nothing
[104:43] you
[104:45] will
[104:50] cry
[104:52] alone. Darkness will fade. All the pain
[104:56] will go by, but we will stay. Even if
[105:01] you say goodbye.
[105:24] will rise
[105:27] on everyone.
[105:30] Don't cry alone. Darkness will fade. All
[105:35] the pain will go by, but we will stay.
[105:40] Even if you say,
[105:46] everyone cries, don't cry alone.
[105:51] Darkness will fade. All the pain will go
[105:54] by.
[105:58] Love of my life.
[106:17] New day.
[106:23] Everyone cries. Don't cry alone.
[106:27] Darkness will fade. All the pain will
[106:30] go.
[106:36] Even if you say goodbye,
[106:41] a new day will rise.
[106:50] New day
[106:52] will rise.
[107:23] Thank you Keshett Kaim Dance Company for
[107:26] that amazing
[107:34] moving performance.
[107:36] A couple of weeks ago, I spent time with
[107:38] Ellie Sharabi. We were in Brazil for
[107:41] Stand with Us programs. You will
[107:44] remember that Ellie Sharabi spent 491
[107:48] days in captivity
[107:50] and emerged looking like a starved and
[107:53] tortured Holocaust survivor because he
[107:57] was starved and tortured.
[108:01] On the day of his release, he learned
[108:03] that his wife and two daughters had been
[108:05] murdered as well as his brother.
[108:09] He suffered a personal holocaust in his
[108:11] own family. And yet when I was with him,
[108:15] I learned that every morning Ellie
[108:18] Sharabi wakes up and chooses life.
[108:23] Like Ellie, we remember, but we continue
[108:27] to build. We grieve and still we choose
[108:31] life.
[108:33] Three years later, we still carry
[108:35] October 7th with us, and we always will.
[108:39] We carry those who were taken from us,
[108:42] the families forever changed, and the
[108:44] survivors who live every day with what
[108:47] they endured. But we also carry the
[108:50] courage that we witnessed and we heard
[108:53] about tonight, and the determination of
[108:55] a people who refused to allow terror to
[108:59] write the final chapter.
[109:03] After October 7th, Jewish and Israeli
[109:06] students in high schools and on college
[109:08] campuses faced hatred they never
[109:11] expected.
[109:13] Yet so many found their voices and they
[109:16] found like-minded communities. They
[109:19] chose not to be broken. They chose to
[109:23] lead. We know this for a fact because we
[109:26] work with them. because Stand with Us
[109:28] supports students across the United
[109:30] States and around the world. And we're
[109:32] so proud of them.
[109:40] We are so proud of those students and
[109:43] many of them are here tonight. By the
[109:45] way, we remember those we lost on and
[109:48] after October 7th, not only for the way
[109:50] they died, but for the way they lived.
[109:54] We carry their names, their stories,
[109:56] their dreams, and their light. We carry
[109:58] that forward. And even after the darkest
[110:02] days,
[110:03] we choose life. We build. We stand
[110:06] together. That is our strength. And we
[110:10] are dancing again. And we are singing
[110:13] again. And we will do it now together.
[110:17] Please rise everybody for Hatikva the
[110:20] hope led by the children of Harkham Hill
[110:24] Hebrew Academy and the Israeli
[110:27] Shinshinim who are here with us in Los
[110:29] Angeles
[110:31] following the Hatikva. Please sit back
[110:34] down. Don't leave because we're going to
[110:36] sing. We're going to do a sing along
[110:39] with the great Sam Glazer because we are
[110:43] a fortress. Thank you. I'm Israel Kai.
[111:14] Oh me
[111:28] I
[111:30] bless
[111:33] so
[111:43] My
[111:47] heart
[111:59] for
[112:09] We are
[112:12] shall
[112:16] we
[112:18] fall for sheep be
[112:50] And now to end our evening with a
[112:53] special performance, please welcome Sam
[112:56] Glazer.
[113:12] I'm Israel.
[113:39] Medina
[113:42] shalom.
[113:52] Oh,
[113:56] I'm Israel. I'm Israel. Oh,
[114:04] I'm I can't hear you. Oh,
[114:13] I'm Israel. I'm Israel. Oh.
[114:17] Oh.
[114:21] Is
[114:23] I'm Israel. I'm Israel. I'm Israel. Come
[114:26] on.
[114:36] I'm Israel.
[114:38] Come on.
[114:48] Oh,
[114:54] I'm Israel. I'm Israel.
[114:59] I'm Israel.
[115:02] I'm Israel. I'm Israel.
[115:06] I'm Israel. I'm Israel.
[115:09] Oh.
[115:15] Fore.
[115:39] What do we say?
[115:43] Get on your feet. your tto.
[115:48] yourto
[116:10] shalom
[116:14] shalom
[116:17] they are Oh, Israel.
[116:23] Amen.
[116:24] Shalom.
[116:26] Shalom. Shalom.
[116:29] I call Israel.
[116:32] Shalom.
[116:33] Say shalom. Shalom.
[116:37] I'll call
[116:39] Shalom.
[116:41] Shalom. Shalom.
[116:44] Israel
[116:46] say shalom
[116:48] shalom shalom
[116:52] is
[116:54] shalom
[116:55] shalom shalom
[116:59] is
[117:01] shim
[117:04] shal where would you rather be
[117:08] shalim
[117:12] shalim
[117:15] Shall
[117:32] be
[117:38] sure.
[117:55] Come on, last chance.
[118:04] shall
[118:07] be shall
[118:10] be shall be shal.
[118:37] Thank you.
