One year on from the harrowing terrorist attack inflicted by Hamas on southern Israel, the trauma remains raw for Australia’s Jewish community. Across the country, gatherings and vigils are taking place to honour the nearly 1,200 lives lost and to support the families of those still held hostage.
In Sydney, about 60 people came together for a sunset vigil overlooking the harbour on Sunday evening. The gathering was one of many held around Australia to mark the anniversary of the attacks. David Ossip, president of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, described October 7 as “a day of infamy,” emphasising the personal loss experienced by so many.
“The events of October 7 were personal; the victims were our family and friends, our loved ones,” Ossip said. “These are not numbers or statistics; every single one of these individuals are loved people.”
The vigil featured a giant candle sand sculpture lit in honour of the victims, following the Jewish tradition of lighting a candle on the anniversary of a loved one’s death. Prayers were sung in memory of the 251 people taken hostage by Hamas, including the 101 still held captive in Gaza.
Among those in attendance was Michal Ohana, a 27-year-old veterinary nurse who survived the attack while attending the Nova music festival in Israel. Her harrowing experience included hiding under an Israeli tank after being shot by Hamas militants.
Despite her own injuries, she considers it her responsibility to bear witness to the atrocities she witnessed. “I am the voice of all the people who were murdered there and for all the hostages, for all the survivors,” she told those in attendance.
Sydney woman Melissa McCurdie also shared her family’s heartbreaking story. Three of her relatives were killed on October 7 in Kibbutz Be’eri, while seven others were taken hostage. Although six relatives were released after 51 days, one remains captive in Gaza. “It’s a nightmare, an ongoing nightmare, and we know nothing about the remaining hostage,” McCurdie said. “It’s an ongoing torture for the family.”
While vigils and memorial services take place across major Australian cities, including Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide, and Perth, a solemn day of remembrance has not been without controversy.
Jewish leaders, like Michael Gencher of StandWithUs Australia expressed distress at the timing of pro-Palestinian rallies held on and around the October 7 anniversary. “To choose this day, to me, feels as though it was done on purpose and … directed towards the Jewish community,” he said.
In response, Labor MP Josh Burns urged for empathy across communities. “Grief is not a competition, this conflict hurts, it hurts people across many different communities,” he stated. “If we don’t hold compassion and space for one another, how on earth can we expect people in the region to?”
Other political leaders also addressed the significance of the anniversary with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese calling for unity. Opposition leader Peter Dutton echoed this sentiment, while Greens leader Adam Bandt reiterated his party’s call for the unconditional release of the hostages.
Elsewhere, thousands of people took to the streets in Sydney and Melbourne to rally against Israel’s actions in Gaza and call for a free Palestine. The rallies and vigils highlighted the more than 40,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza according to its health ministry. Australia Palestine Advocacy Network president Nasser Mashni pointed out that, for Palestinians, the conflict has been ongoing for over 70 years, highlighting that the past year is not the start of their suffering.
As Australia marks this difficult anniversary, the challenge remains for communities to hold space for each other’s grief while calling for justice, peace, and compassion on all sides.