Somber commemorations are planned today in the Northeast and around the country on this first anniversary of the October 7th attacks on Israel by Hamas. The surprise assault set off a year of war in the region that has now expanded to southern Lebanon. Some events today are aimed at forcing an elusive ceasefire in Gaza, while others are meant simply to remember the 1,200 Israelis killed a year ago. The Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York plans what it calls An Evening of Remembrance, Unity and Hope. Hank Greenberg is with the organization:
WAMC's Lucas Willard spoke with Hank Greenberg of the Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York on Midday Magazine:
Sad, solemn, mourning, grieving for what was lost on October 7th and also what has happened since October 7th for the Jewish world, not only in Israel, but in the United States and throughout Europe and elsewhere, where we have seen the most alarming spike in anti-Semitism in modern memory. S
So, Governor Hochul has asked for increased security at houses of worship in the days leading up to today's anniversary. Have local synagogues and temples in the capital region had to increase security on their own as well.
Yes, absolutely. Since October 7th throughout the Capital Region, throughout the country, now, a Jew cannot go to their house of worship and observe their faith without seeing security guarding the synagogue that was the case during the High Holidays, which we're experiencing now, Rosh Hashanah a few days ago in Yom Kippur in the days that come. But this is something that we have not seen, certainly in my lifetime in the United States. Over the course of the last year, since October 7, there have been 10,000 acts of anti-Semitism directed towards Jews. That's a 200% increase. Nothing in American history, at least comes close to the spike, not only, for example, my synagogue in Albany, there was a shotgun blast outside the synagogue several months ago, acts of violence, but we see it on college campuses and elsewhere, so it's terrifying for the Jewish community
Now, you traveled to Israel after the October 7th attacks last year. Have you traveled back to the region since?
No, I haven't gone back. I was there a couple of weeks after the October 7th attack, and that war began with a delegation of leaders of the American Jewish community. But I, like all of us, have observed closely the event since then.
So, as groups like the Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York are hosting remembrances. Does your organization have a message to the larger capital region community?
We do. All of us are in this together. By that, I mean all communities of faith need to come together and recognize that our commonality vastly outweighs our differences, and what can come to one minority group can come to others. So this is a time for solemn reflection. It's a time to grieve, but it's also a time to recognize that there is no future with hatred. There is no future towards acts of violence and denigration of other groups. So we look to the entire community to recognize that what has occurred over the course of the last year, the singling out the acts of anti-Semitism and violence and vandalism that has been directed towards the Jewish community needs to stop, and all of us can play a role in making sure that that happens.
So, as you alluded to, other organizations are hosting their own remembrances, and here in the Albany area. The group, Jewish Voices for Peace, held a vigil yesterday with a focus on the war in the Middle East, marking the deaths of the Palestinians in Gaza, calling for an arms embargo against Israel. Is there a divide among the Jewish community, perhaps within the Federation, about what's transpired over the last year in the Middle East.
Well, the Jewish community, like every community, there are differences of opinion, but I think all of us recognize that Israel has a right to defend itself against acts of terror and violence like we saw on October 7th. And I think it's important for everyone to recognize that the war is not a war against the Palestinian people, for whom all of us have empathy and feel sorrow for the suffering of the Palestinian people. But the war is not against them. The war is against terror and terrorists and a terrorist organization, and Hamas and terror, and terrorism like an organization like Hezbollah and Israel is doing what it must in order to defend itself. And I think it's important for all of us to recognize, and all of us do recognize that the suffering that comes. Of war is something we all grieve over, and we're all set over, and we all look forward to the day when this war comes to an end.
And as war escalates, are divisions deepening? Do you think that they may become more difficult to overcome?
Well, I think all of us, at least in the American Jewish community, all of us, including the United States government, has recognized the importance and the right of Israel to defend itself, and also the importance to find an end to this war as quickly as possible, and to address the suffering of all Palestinians, Jews alike in that region. So in that respect, I think we're all of like mind and all looking forward to the day when this war comes to an end.
