10/01/2026
Oct. 7 Commemoration to Feature Prayer, Music, Reflection
Yahel Lipshitz, survivor of the Hamas-led attack in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, delivers her survivor’s testimony, during the Jewish Federation of Cleveland’s two-year commemoration on Oct. 5 at Landerhaven in Mayfield Heights. CJN Photo
Article reprinted with permission from Cleveland Jewish News
by Kateryna Kopylchak
The Jewish Federation of Cleveland will bring community members together on Oct. 7 to commemorate three years since the Oct. 7, 2023, surprise attacks in Israel by Hamas.
The 10-7-23 Commemoration will take place from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Mandel Jewish Community Center’s Stonehill Auditorium at 26001 S. Woodland Road in Beachwood. The program will provide an opportunity for community members to remember those who were murdered and those who were taken hostage during the attacks.
Holz
Mark Holz, Jewish Federation of Cleveland overseas connections committee chair, said the approximately hour-long program will include prayer, music and reflection, with the goal of providing a space for the community to mourn, remember and stand together.
“Federation leadership, local rabbis and cantors, as well as Israeli Americans who live in Cleveland will all be participating in the memorial service,” he said.
Kevin Clayton, executive vice president and chief impact and equity officer of Rock Entertainment Group, which owns the Cleveland Cavaliers and others, will provide remarks during the event and represent the Greater Cleveland community.
“His participation will reflect the importance of community solidarity and the support Jewish Cleveland has received from friends and neighbors across Northeast Ohio,” Holz said.
Three years after the attacks, Holz said their lasting impact continues to be felt by people in Israel, Jewish communities around the world and those in Northeast Ohio.
“The lasting impact of the attacks of Oct. 7th have had a profound impact on the people of Israel and the Jewish people around the world,” he said. “I don’t think this can be overstated.”
For many people in the Cleveland Jewish community, the impact is deeply personal because of connections through family, friends, work or relationships with people directly affected by the attacks.
He said the commemoration offers an opportunity for those community members to gather and support one another while remembering the individuals and families at the center of the tragedy.
“In some ways, it seems like a lifetime ago, and in other ways, it seems like yesterday,” Holz said. “And I think it’s important to just come together as a community and remember that.”
The gathering will also offer attendees an opportunity to stand in solidarity with the families of those affected, as well as with the people of Israel and Jewish communities around the world.
“It’s important to come together to remember that and stand in solidarity,” he said.
Due to the sensitive nature of the program, organizers are asking attendees to be mindful if bringing young children.
Preregistration is mandatory, and walk-ins will not be permitted. To register, visit shorturl.at/uh1OC.
For more information, contact Jaclyn Szaruga at jszaruga@jewishcleveland.org or 216-593-2900.
