There was a somber mood inside the Martha’s Vineyard Hebrew Center on Monday night as the congregation, along with representatives from faith groups across the Island, gathered in remembrance of the Oct. 7 attack on Israeli citizens and Israel Defense Forces soldiers a year ago to the day.
The intent of the service — and with synagogues and others across the country holding similar events — was to offer comfort to participants, while mourning the deaths and kidnappings of Israelis, migrant workers, and soldiers, and to pray for the release of hostages and a peaceful resolution. The local remembrance was also to pray for a “future of peace, security, and freedom for all who live on the land,” as the center stated in anticipation of Monday evening.
“Grieving is so important, and I want to be in solidarity with Israelis … and people of all backgrounds,” Rabbi Caryn Broitman said in reflection on the evening. “I want to personally pray for an end to war and a future of life.”
The Vineyard Haven service was attended by about 75 people in person, and joined by about 25 more over Zoom.
On Oct. 7 of last year, Hamas, a group the U.S. recognizes as a terrorist organization, launched an attack against Israel that killed more than 1,200 Israelis, and took some 250 people hostage. According to U.S. officials, an estimated 97 hostages remain held in Gaza today. After that day in 2023, according to the U.N., Israel went on a military offensive operation that has killed more than 41,000 Palestinians, with over 97,000 more injured, per the latest reports from the Gaza Health Ministry.
The ongoing war in the Middle East is a divisive issue in the U.S., including here on the Vineyard, and Rabbi Broitman was hoping to hold space for the difficult feelings that have arisen regarding this subject. While she looks to brighter days ahead, “even after a year, it feels too close,” she said.
Broitman started the service with a grateful acknowledgement of the Island community and her congregation and staff, and said she was thankful for their support in healing from the aftermath of the attacks. She then began singing a song that alternated between Hebrew and English, with musical accompaniment by Eric Johnson on guitar and Deborah Strauss on violin.
After the song filled the room and Rabbi Broitman had set the tone for the service, she motioned to seven unlit candles on a small table before her. The seven candles, for Oct. 7, each had a story to tell. They would be lit one by one throughout the service, beginning with the first candle, which represented pain. This candle stands for “pain felt from far away, but also so close to us,” Broitman said.
The candles were lit by Hebrew Center leadership, as well as clergy members from other churches on the Island, as a way of including other faiths in the night’s service. “Our fellow houses of worship have been incredibly supportive,” Broitman said of their presence at Monday’s remembrance.
The second candle stood for grief. After it was lit by a pastor, a poem was read by a congregation member. This poem, called “By Day” by Rachel Sharansky Danziger, ended with the question, “How can one be tranquil /When we have lost for all eternity /More than one thousand hearts?” After the poem, Rabbi Broitman led the congregation through “A Lament for Be’eri,” by Yagel Harush, which was written after the events of Oct. 7
The third candle, for courage, was lit by a Baptist pastor. “There are so many stories of courage,” Rabbi Broitman said. “We honor their courage: Jews, Muslims, Christians, people of all backgrounds who put the saving of life above all else — we honor their courage.”
A priest from Grace Episcopal Church of Martha’s Vineyard lit the fourth candle, which was in honor of the families of the hostages, both those who have passed and those who are still held captive.
The fifth candle represented prayer, and its lighting was followed by a song performed by Katie Mayhew, in both Hebrew and English. Rabbi Broitman introduced the song, saying the “power of prayer to heal and affect change” was the message of the fifth candle. Mayhew’s voice echoed across the white-walled hall, as she sang the lyrics, “What have we done, what can grow here?”
After Mayhew’s tribute to prayer through song, it was time to light the sixth candle, representing peace. A prayer for peace was read, and around the room, some audience members wiped tears from their eyes as they recited the poem along with Rabbi Broitman.
The seventh candle represented hope. The match had to be struck a few times before it ignited, but the candle was lit all the same. Toni Kauffman of the NAACP read a poem called “Tiny Seed” as the service came to a close. The poem was about growing hope and new life through tragedy.
Rabbi Broitman invited the congregation to stand as the service ended with a song. The lyrics were based on a poem written by a Jewish prisoner on the walls of a Gestapo prison in Germany.
The poem read, “I believe in the sun /Even when it is not shining.” This was the message everyone was left with after the service on Monday.
The Chabad in Vineyard Haven also had a great remembrance for the victims of October 7. With the light drizzle of rain God was indeed crying for all of us. It would be nice to see more support on the island with Israeli flags.
I too and many others attended the very moving October 7th memorial vigil at the Chabad of Martha’s Vinyard hosted by Rabbi Txvi. There were 2 Israeli speakers including an IDF Colonel (ret). and a former advisor for Israeli Foreign Affairs. In addition a large screen showed photos of some of the victims of the Hamas massacre of October 7th as well as photos of many of the 200+ hostages taken.
Very moving and heartfelt words were spoken by the Rabbi. The vigil concluded with a lighting of candles in Remembrance.
“…Hamas, a group the U.S. recognizes as a terrorist organization…”
Hamas IS a terrorist organization, a fact recognized as fact by every civilized human being on the planet. Antisemites belong among the uncivilized, calling terrorists who rape, sexually mutilate, torture, kidnap, starve, and burn alive entire civilian families, “freedom fighters”.
Stop crying, my people. Speak up loudly against Jew hatred and fight for your children’s future. The Biden/Harris position on Lebanon is that Israel should not “escalate” the war. That’s a sub-headline in today’s NYTimes, an example of the endless NYTimes antisemitic bias. I’ll translate: Israel shall not fight back against Hezbollah in Lebanon, and certainly not retaliate against the 200 ballistic missiles fired at Israel’s civilians, nor should they attempt to stop every other attack on Israeli civilians from 7 fronts since October 7th. The war on Jews continues, from Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis, all of Iran proxies and the useful idiot helpmates in this country—whether at Rutgers or whether attacking any Jew anywhere in the world and who will not stoping until Israel is destroyed. That is the only goal which a Jew-hating world want Israel to accept. Don’t escalate means let them come and bomb me. It means live with the constant threat of pogroms until Israel is no more. Isn’t it always a good idea to negotiate with radical islamist terrorists whose hatred for Jews and all western values is so intensely embedded it overrides dreams of one’s own land, peace, every ceasefire, and the love for their own children and innocent civilians? Anyone who thinks this has been a war for a “free Palestine” is naively ignorant or an antisemite. Or both. The terrorists want a destroyed Israel and dead Jews more than a Palestine or a peaceful land of their own they could have had many times over. Look what they did with billions in aid meant for Gazans. Always rejected negotiated land deals. Why? Israel and Jews are still existing. There would not be one dead or injured Palestinian child were it not for Hamas’s brutal savagery of October 7th, cheered on by thousands of Gazan civilians. Go negotiate with someone trying to kill you and will not stop until you’re dead, acting in your so-called good faith. No. To every thing there is a season. Pray for peace and fight until terrorists are eliminated. Fight against the Jew hatred in your own back yards.
Everyone wants a peaceful resolution, the hostages released, and Arab and Jew living in harmony—except the terrorists. Hamas and all radical, islamist Iran proxies are terrorists. Never forget it.
Jackie, the liberals just dont want to admit their anti semitism. They accuse Israel of genocide but dont condemn Sudan or Rawanda. They say Israel is invented by the Brits at Balfour but dont say the same thing about Pakistan. They dont recognize their own anti semitism. Its useless and the MV Times ignores.
Chabad of MV hosted a beautiful memorial service, with poignant words spoken by Rabbi Tzvi and guests, prayers in Hebrew and English, and a deeply moving musical and photographic tribute. Very well done. A shame that both papers only covered the Hebrew Center event.
Some papers don’t seem to like Chabad.
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