The National Memorial Ceremony of October 7 Families
The National Memorial Ceremony of October 7 Families (Hebrew: טקס הזיכרון הלאומי של משפחות 7 באוקטובר) was an Israeli national memorial ceremony, held on October 7, 2024. It marked an anniversary for the 7 October Hamas-led attack on Israel. The event took place at Yehoshua Gardens in Yarkon Park, Tel Aviv, and was organized by Kumu, a movement founded by the families of Israeli hostages and their relatives.[1]
Originally, the ceremony was planned to accommodate an audience of 40,000 people, but the scale was reduced due to security concerns and new instructions from the Home Front Command. In its final format, the event was primarily attended by the families of those kidnapped and killed in the Hamas-led attack on Israel. Despite the limited in-person attendance, the ceremony was broadcast across hundreds of places throughout Israel and aired on both national and international television networks.[2]
Background
[edit]In August 2024, the Israeli government decided to hold a state ceremony commemorating an anniversary for the Hamas-led attack on Israel. The event was organized under the authority of Transport Minister Miri Regev. However, families of the victims - those kidnapped, murdered, or displaced - refused to participate in the government's event, citing the government's failure to take responsibility for its handling of the war. Instead, they announced plans to hold a separate ceremony to commemorate the massacre.[3][4]
At the same month, an alternative event was funded through crowdfunding, and was planned to held at a location that could accommodate large crowds safely. This is despite some restrictions that were put on place due to the ongoing war and limited the gathering to 2,000 attendees maximum.[5]
Participants
[edit]This is a list of the individuals and bands that took part in the ceremony:[6]
- Amir Dadon
- Rotem Sela
- Hanoch Daum
- Rabbi Shmuel Slutzky
- Tamir Granot
- Gali Atari
- Corinne Allal
- Rita
- Miri Mesika
- Keren Peles
- Yigal Cohen
- Rank Danker
- Ivri Lider
- Yuval Sharvit Trebelsy
- Rafi Ben Shitrit
- Aviv Geffen
- Shalom Hanoch
- Agam Buhbut
- Boaz Sharabi
- Nitza Korngold
- Valerie Hamati
- Margalit Tzan'ani
- Yehuda Poliker
- Knesiyat Hasekhel
- Zehava Ben
- Shuli Rand
- Yishai Levi
- Oshira Grinberg
- Erin Habka
- HaYehudim
- Mysem Abu Wassel Darousha
- Hadar Gold
- Eden Hason
- Jonathan Shimriz
- Shlomo Artzi
- Yagil Yaakov
- Daphna Admati
- Tal Elzam
References
[edit]- ^ צ'כנובר, יעל (2024-10-06). "מאחורי הקלעים של טקס המשפחות: "יש 1,600 סיפורים, הצלחנו לכמת כאב, גבורה ותקומה"". Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2024-10-12.
- ^ "לאור המצב הביטחוני: טקס הזיכרון הלאומי בפארק גני יהושע לא יתקיים עם קהל רחב - וואלה חדשות". וואלה (in Hebrew). 2024-10-05. Retrieved 2024-10-12.
- ^ Neifakh, Veronica (2024-10-06). "United in Grief: Israel Marks October 7 Through Memorials and Cultural Events". The Media Line. Retrieved 2024-10-12.
- ^ "At separate memorials, families demand accountability as PM touts Israeli 'strength'". Times of Israel.
- ^ צ'כנובר, יעל (2024-10-06). "מאחורי הקלעים של טקס המשפחות: "יש 1,600 סיפורים, הצלחנו לכמת כאב, גבורה ותקומה"". Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2024-10-12.
- ^ שכניק, רז (2024-10-06). "טקס הזיכרון הלאומי: הזמרים שישתתפו, השירים - ומה עוד צפוי להיות באירוע". Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2024-10-12.