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Mourn the dead. Fight for the living. Not another bomb. Free them all.

As we approach the Jewish New Year and the Days of Awe, we gaze backwards and forwards in overwhelming grief. We grieve for the over 1,100 Israelis killed in the Hamas-led attack one year ago. We grieve for the well-over 42,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza and the hundreds killed in the West Bank by the Israeli military over the past year alone – knowing that tens of thousands more remain uncounted and many more will likely die in the weeks and months to come. We grieve the hundreds of civilians killed by the Israeli military’s dangerous attacks in Lebanon this past week. We grieve because we know that, by the minute, further escalation only condemns more civilians - including those held captive - to death. Our grief is compounded by the fact that it didn’t have to be this way. It still doesn’t.

So this 10/7, we gather to honor the lives of the dead by committing to a world beyond violence and oppression. Our tears are abundant enough, and our hearts are big enough, to grieve for every life taken – every universe destroyed – whether Palestinian or Israeli. It is not either/or, but rather the unjust, violent and dehumanizing structures that suggest so. We need one another: Jews cannot be safe if Palestinians are not safe and free.

This memorial gathering will differ from many taking place across our community this Fall. We reject the isolationist impulse to “close ranks,” turning away from the suffering of our Palestinian siblings and, in doing so, to manufacture consent for U.S.-funded massacre and forced displacement. In our heartbreak, together we will walk a different path. We will build a brave space where folks should expect the comfort of collective mourning while standing amidst the distinct experiences that shape each one of us. For every life - living and departed - is a universe unto itself.

This is a family-friendly, ADA accessible event. ASL interpretation provided.

Wear white. Bring candles and flowers.