Baltimore’s Jewish community is remembering the day Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The attack sparked the war in Gaza.
“Two years ago, none of us would have imagined we would be where we are today,” said Howard Libit, Executive Director of the Baltimore Jewish Council.
Two years later, Caren Leven, the Executive Director of the Baltimore Zionist District, said Tuesday feels the same way it did on the day of the attack.
“We feel the same pain, Leven said. “We feel that we are missing our brothers and sisters that are still being held in captivity.”
“Given what we knew about Israel and its military prowess and as a safe sanctuary for the Jewish world… We were overwhelmed and shocked,” Libit said.
Standing for Israel
Since the 2023 attack, both the Baltimore Jewish Council and Baltimore Zionist District, along with other activists, have worked to support those in Israel.
“We have raised money for supplies for people in bomb shelters,” Libit said. “We’ve also raised money for the mental health needs for all the trauma people have experienced.”
Many have marched consistently to remember the hostages and demand their release. The most recent walk took place Sunday, followed by a ceremony to remember October 7.
Leven said months after the attack, the group organized a mission trip to Israel.
“I felt like I was useless here at that point,” Leven said. “At that time, we could still smell in the air the smell of fire, the smell of burnt flesh.”
The Baltimore Jewish Council said they’ve also organized mission trips to Israel.
“To show our support,” Libit said. “People have gone and volunteered and help at the farms because there aren’t workers to do some of that and the food needs to be harvested.”
Libit hopes to plan more trips in the future. Right now, all eyes are on the conversations surrounding a ceasefire and the release of the remaining hostages.
Moving forward
Leven and Libit said their work continues in the Baltimore region with education, as they said there’s been a rise in antisemitism.
The Anti-Defamation League’s latest study reveals that more than half of Jewish Americans have experienced at least one form of antisemitism in the past 12 months.
“Most importantly, we’re going to continue to build alliances to stand up against hate,” Libit said.
They add that they continue to stand in solidarity with Israel.
“We are strong,” Leven said. “We are vibrant.”