10/14/2026
Cleveland Jewish Community Marks Third Anniversary of Oct. 7 Attacks
Members of the Cleveland Jewish community gathered on Oct. 7 to remember the victims of the surprise Hamas attacks on Israel three years ago. CJN Photo / Kateryna Kopylchak
Article reprinted with permission from Cleveland Jewish News
by Kateryna Kopylchak
Members of the Cleveland Jewish community gathered Oct. 7 to commemorate the third anniversary of Hamas’ surprise attacks on Israel, remembering those who lost their lives through prayers, songs and personal stories, while also sharing messages of hope and solidarity.
Mark Holz, chair of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland’s Overseas Connections Committee, opened the commemoration, held at the Mandel Jewish Community Center of Cleveland in Beachwood, by remembering victims through a shared moment of silence.
“Today, we remember the children, the parents, the grandparents, the sisters, brothers, friends, and loved ones whose lives were stolen,” Holz said.
Following the opening remarks, Cantor Alyssa Rosenbaum led attendees in prayer.
Einat Elbalak, a retired Israel Defense Forces colonel who now teaches at the Joseph and Florence Mandel Jewish Day School, also in Beachwood, shared excerpts from her personal diary, where she detailed her experiences immediately following Oct. 7, 2023.
In one entry dated Oct. 11, Elbalak described traveling to a hotel near the Dead Sea to meet with members of a community affected by the attacks.
“I am wearing a uniform, and I feel the enormous tragedy that has struck our people with every fiber of my being,” she said.
Elbalak also shared the emotional impact of those experiences.
“My body feels the pain,” she said. “The sadness is overwhelming.”
Reflecting on the relationships between Jewish communities in Israel and Cleveland, Elbalak described how their connections have continued to strengthen despite the distance.
“Words are too small to describe the depth of this connection,” Elbalak said. “And for that, I am deeply grateful. The Jewish people have always known how to rise from their knees. Throughout our history, we have faced unimaginable loss, and we have found the strength to rise again.”
Kevin Clayton, executive vice president and chief impact and equity officer of Rock Entertainment Group and the Cleveland Cavaliers, spoke about the importance of solidarity and allyship. He recalled visiting Israel with a Federation delegation, including the site of the Nova music festival attack and Kibbutz Kissufim, one of the country’s communities directly adjacent to the Gaza Strip.
“I have four daughters, and when I saw some of the pictures that were shown earlier, when I saw all the pictures that were shown for memorial, my heart broke,” Clayton said. “Because my daughters love music and they potentially could have been there.”
He also reflected on meeting people affected by the attacks at Kibbutz Kissufim.
“When I went to Kibbutz Kissufim, and I talked to people there, my heart broke again,” Clayton said.
Clayton compared allyship to helping someone in a boat that is taking on water, emphasizing that solidarity requires action rather than encouragement from a distance.
“So for me, allyship and solidarity is when we come off of the dock and we get in the boat with you,” he said. “And we start bailing the water.”
“This means the most to me because I am not Jewish, obviously, but I am human. And this is about humanity,” Clayton added.
During the closing remarks, Holz reflected on the strength of Cleveland’s Jewish community and its continued commitment to supporting Israel following the attacks.
“Take a look around the room this evening and you’ll see people of all ages, from different backgrounds and life experiences, religious customs and practices, representing every corner of our Jewish community,” he said.
He also highlighted the Federation’s response to Oct. 7, 2023, including emergency fundraising efforts and continued support for communities affected by the attacks.
“As soon as we were allowed, we started sending mission staff to Israel to bear witness to their atrocities and to reassure the people in Israel that Jewish Cleveland was with them every step of the way,” Holz said.
The Federation’s partnership with Kibbutz Kissufim has also brought children from the Israeli community to Camp Wise for the past two summers, offering them opportunities to participate in activities and build friendships.
The evening concluded with a prayer for the State of Israel and the IDF. Attendees were invited to take a candle home as a symbol of remembrance and hope.
