Chicago-area Jews mark year since Hamas attack on Israel

Sivan Schondorf remembers what Israel was like before Hamas attacked the country on Oct. 7, 2023.

Schondorf had celebrated her daughter’s bat mitzvah there with family just a few months before. She returned to Israel in March, months after the attack, for a mission trip to help the communities devastated in the attack, in which 1,200 people were killed and 250 were taken hostage.

The country wasn’t the same, and neither were its people, she said. “I can tell you from the before and after that the mood there is completely shifted, everybody is much more solemn."

In the year since the attack the Jewish community across the world has grieved over those lost and prayed for the safe return of the remaining hostages. But within the grief there has also been unity, Schondorf added.

That unity was evident Sunday as hundreds came together in north suburban Highland Park, which has a large Jewish population, on the eve of the one-year mark of the Oct. 7 attack. The event honored the memory of those killed and called for the release of the 100 or so hostages still being held by Hamas.

“Even in times of intense mourning and sorrow we come together, and we unify and we feel very proud of those protecting us and proud of our resilience,” Schondorf said.

The memorial was organized by Shamash, a group of moms who live in the area and who organized vigils in the months following Hamas’ attack. Shamash is the Hebrew name for the candle used to light the other candles in a Hannukkah menorah.

Close to 300 people packed Port Clinton Square in downtown Highland Park for the memorial, waving Israeli flags or wearing its blue and white colors. Others wore shirts with the words “Bring them home now” and held photographs of hostages. On the sidewalk a message in blue tape read “365 1 year!” Several police officers stood guard as speakers addressed the crowd.

Rep. Brad Schneider was among the elected officials in attendance.

Clergy led the crowd in prayer. Many in the crowd became emotional at the mention of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, the 23-year-old Israeli American with Chicago roots who was captured and killed by Hamas.

But there was also a note of hope during the memorial. The crowd came together to sing “One Day” by Matisyahu, a Jewish American reggae singer and rapper. The song conveys a message of resilience and encourages people to believe in a world without violence and war. The song’s lyrics include “one day, one day, we’ll all be free.”

After gathering at the square the crowd marched a block and half to the corner of St. Johns and Central Avenue, where there is a temporary memorial to the victims of the attack. The memorial features artwork by Elisabetta Furcht, a Jewish Italian artist who has painted portraits of every hostage held in Gaza, including Goldberg-Polin.

Jorie Sigesmund said the year since the Oct. 7 attacks has been difficult for the Jewish community, saying that they have been in a “constant state of trauma” from that day on. But Sigesmund, who is also a member of Shamash, said they push through that trauma for the people living in Israel, who have shown resiliency and togetherness, even in the face of rising antisemitism.

“Together we have always been stronger, we will get through this, we have for thousands of years, we’re standing here today and the only way to combat darkness is with light, and we all know that whether you’re Jews, whether you’re a Muslim, whether you’re Christian, it doesn’t matter, that’s true of humanity," Sigesmund said.

For Schondorf, one of the most difficult aspects of the ongoing conflict has been worrying about her family in Israel. She said they are under constant threat of rocket attacks and have had to run to the safe rooms in their homes on multiple occasions.

Schondorf, who comes from a family of Holocaust survivors, said another concern since Oct. 7 has been increasing antisemitism, which she said is reminiscent of when her grandparents were living in Europe in the 1930s.

“They always gave us warnings. even after they had survived and felt free and safe in the United States. They said look for the signs and know when to fight and know when to run,” she said. “Unfortunately, we are starting to see some of those signs of the really dangerous blood libels and antisemitism, they’re rearing their ugly head again.”

Lori Fink said there have been moments over the last year where she felt “scared to be Jewish” because of the antisemitism and misinformation that she has seen explode since Oct. 7.

She said the support of the community has gotten her through those moments. She hopes the vitriolic discourse surrounding the war can be toned down because in the end everyone is fighting for the same goal.

“Everything feels so divisive, you’re either on this side or on that side, but we all want peace,” Fink said.