About 200 University of Michigan students and community members gathered on the steps of Hatcher Graduate Library Tuesday evening for a vigil commemorating the two-year anniversary of Hamas’s attack on Israel. The Oct. 7, 2023 attack killed more than 1,200 people and resulted in about 250 more being taken hostage. The resulting Israeli military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 67,000 people and was classified as a genocide by the United Nations in September. The vigil was organized by the University’s chapter of Students Supporting Israel, and included a moment of silence and prayers for the Oct. 7 victims and the 48 hostages still held by Hamas.
Earlier Tuesday afternoon, SSI hosted a tabling event on the Diag, displaying images of the victims of the Oct. 7th attack. At about 6 p.m., several speakers addressed the crowd from the steps of the Graduate Library. LSA senior Elijah Wiseman, SSI member, opened the vigil, saying it is important to reflect on the lasting impact of the attack.
“We gather not only to mourn but to bear witness, to ensure that the memory of Oct. 7 is never forgotten,” Wiseman said. “Using those who are lost as a reason to bring closer those who remain is the greatest gift we can give to those who can appreciate it.”
LSA sophomore Abigail Gelfand, SSI member, led a prayer for the hostages and civilians killed on Oct. 7. In an interview with The Michigan Daily, Gelfand said speaking helped her show solidarity with other Jewish people and she hoped the event gave people a better understanding of the Jewish community on campus.
“The Jewish community on campus, and the Jewish community in general, isn’t trying to twist some narrative,” Gelfand said. “All we’re trying to do is be stronger than the hate against us. All we’re trying to do is stand together … and support each other in times of hate, and I think it’s really important that people understand that you don’t need to back down just because you know someone doesn’t like you for who you are.”
In an interview with The Daily, Rackham student Ian Rosenberg said he attended the vigil to remember the lives of those killed on Oct. 7 and be a part of the community that attended it.
“It’s more important than ever to remember those whose lives were lost and whose lives changed forever on Oct. 7,” Rosenberg said. “I came here to show the support of those people, to come together with my community who’s been completely changed in the last two years and for us to support each other, to cheer each other up in the wake of such horrifying events and such difficult times that have happened since.”
LSA senior Dan Viderman, SSI president, closed the vigil with a speech highlighting the importance of remembering the attack and standing with Israel.
“Now and forever, we must stand with Israel,” Viderman said. “On Oct. 7, 2023, the lives of each and every one of us changed forever. The Jewish community is no stranger to hatred. Let us not forget that the Holocaust happened a mere 80 years ago, and yet here I am standing on my college campus in the United States of America, defying each and every expectation. We stand here Jewish, we stand here Zionist and we stand here proud.”
In an interview with The Daily, Viderman discussed his motivations for organizing the vigil, which included reaffirming support for Israel on campus and showing support for the victims of the attack. He criticized the participants in a pro-Palestine protest which occurred at the same time as the vigil, organized to commemorate the second year of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
“We need to be doing more,” Vilderman said. “We need to be the empowering light to their darkness. We need to be here showing unity, showing support, showing strength, for all the different people, Jewish and non-Jewish alike that were murdered on Oct. 7 and for the people that are still held hostage in Gaza.”
Daily Staff Reporter Carter Carino can be reached at carinoc@umich.edu.
