‘Our lives were changed forever,’ Winnipeg leader says as hundreds gather to remember Oct. 7 attack

WARNING: This story contains details of graphic violence

Hundreds of people gathered at Winnipeg’s Asper Jewish Community Campus on Monday night to mourn and to remember the lives lost as they marked the first anniversary of the Hamas-led attacks on Israel.

“At 6:29 a.m. on October 7th, our lives were changed forever,” Rabbi Yosef Benarroch of Winnipeg’s Adas Yeshurun Herzlia Synagogue told the crowd at the Monday solidarity gathering, which took place after a walk for Israel.

“On that day, Jews were burnt alive. They were beheaded. They were raped, and they were murdered. Men, women and children, young and old alike,” he said.

“It was the single worst terror attack against Israel since its creation, and not since the Holocaust have more Jews been murdered in one day.”

In its surprise assault, Hamas militants killed about 1,200 people and took another 250 hostage, of which at least 70 have since died, according to Israeli media. Among the dead were several Canadian citizens.

“We can never forget the events of October 7th, and we can never forgive,” Benarroch said.

“We pray that one day there will be peace in Israel, and we pray for the day that all people will recognize the unbreakable connection that the Jewish people have with the land of Israel.”

Paula Parks, president of the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg, said the attack by Hamas “shattered” her community’s sense of safety.

She said while many long to turn the page after a year of pain, war continues between Hamas and Israel.

“Hostages remain in captivity and antisemitism has surged across the globe. It is a level of hatred and violence many of us thought had been relegated to history books,” she said.

The work to rebuild after the attack is not done, she said.

“We will continue to pray, act and fight for the safe return of the hostages and the security of the Israeli people. The Jewish story is still being written, and we will be the ones to write it.”

‘We’ve got your back’: premier

Dignitaries from municipal, provincial and federal governments were present at the solidarity gathering, including Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew, who said the past year has been “a test for many people here.”

He says it’s an important time to show up for Manitoba’s Jewish community and be a visible ally and friend.

“Israel has a right to exist, and that is non-negotiable, and Israel has a right to defend itself. The hostages should be released immediately,” Kinew said, gaining cheers in response.

“We’ve got your back, and we will continue to support you through this difficult period.”

The Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, which is considered a terrorist group by several Western governments including Canada’s, was one of the worst security failures for a country that prides itself on a strong, sophisticated military.

Israel’s offensive in the Gaza Strip has laid waste to the densely populated coastal enclave and killed more than 41,900, according to Palestinian health authorities, displacing most of the 2.3 million population.

Jeff Lieberman, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg, said Israel’s war is against terrorist organizations.

“It’s against Hamas, it’s against Hezbollah, the Houthis, and certainly Iran,” he said.

Lieberman said there are about 14,000 Jews in Winnipeg, and almost every one of them has family or relatives in Israel.

It was important for Jewish communities around the world to gather on Monday night, he said.

“It’s important for us to be together, just to be together.”

Challenging year for everyone: prof

Events were held worldwide to mark the sombre milestone, with several more in Winnipeg.

A vigil attended by fewer than 100 people was also held outside of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in honour of the Palestinians killed by Israel’s offensive.

Ramsey Zeid, president of the Canadian Palestinian Association of Manitoba — which organized the vigil, said they chose to hold the event at the museum because of its symbolism, but the museum was otherwise unaffiliated with it.

A pro-Palestinian rally was held outside of the University of Winnipeg on Monday evening. At the University of Manitoba, a commemoration of the Oct. 7 attack was held on campus in the morning.

“It’s been a very challenging year for everybody, regardless of your politics,” said Melanie Soderstrom, who is Jewish and a professor at the University of Manitoba.

“It’s a communal trauma that we all feel, and then there’s others who have very personal things that they are struggling with,” she told CBC News after the event.

She said one of the most challenging aspects of the Oct. 7 attack for Winnipeg’s Jewish community was the killing of peace activist Vivian Silver, who was born in Winnipeg and moved to Israel in 1974.

The morning Hamas attacked, the 74-year-old was in the safe room of her house in Kibbutz Be’eri, a community just a few kilometres from the border with Gaza, as she was being interviewed on the radio when gunmen invaded.

The Hamas attackers burned her house down around her, and it took weeks of sifting through ashes and subsequent forensic identification to identify her remains.

“She had a very active role in the peace movement and that struck a lot of people, both as a community and also personally,” Soderstrom said.