October 7th is a date that continues to reverberate. Two years later, its echoes are felt in many directions: in the grief of families who lost loved ones, in the longing of those waiting for hostages to return, and in the daily lives of people still navigating the scars of violence and war.
The pain of that day did not end when the news cycle moved on. It lives on in survivors, in communities across Israel, in Jewish communities worldwide, and in all those whose sense of safety and belonging was shaken. For many, this pain has been made heavier by moments when their grief or fear was dismissed, questioned, or politicized. That invalidation itself can deepen and prolong trauma, leaving wounds that feel unseen or unacknowledged.
This day reminds us that memory is not only about the past; it is about the present, too. We carry grief that lingers, the ache of unresolved questions, and the unrelenting pressure of ongoing conflict. Yet alongside grief, there are threads of resilience, care, and even hope.
There is no single “right” way to feel on this day. Some experience sharp pain. Others feel anger, numbness, or confusion. For many, grief and hope live side by side. However your heart responds, it belongs in the circle of remembrance.
Reflection Prompts
You may wish to take a few minutes to journal, sit quietly, or discuss with someone you trust.
When you think of October 7th, what feeling surfaces first?
Allow yourself to name it: grief, anger, fear, longing, hope, or something harder to put into words. Naming a feeling is a step toward honoring it.
How can you validate your own experience and hurt?
What words, rituals, or practices help you acknowledge that
your pain is real and deserves compassion, from yourself and from others?
How do you honor the memory of lives lost, even if you didn’t know them personally?
Is it through ritual, through story, through silence, or through carrying forward their legacy?
In the face of ongoing pain, where do you find strength?
Maybe it is in family, faith, music, tradition, or the simple resilience of waking up and carrying on.
What is one hope (for healing, peace, or justice) you carry forward?
Hopes can be small and personal, or vast and global. Both matter.
Grounding Practices
These practices may help you mark the day in a tangible way:
Light a candle or place a stone in memory of lives lost.
These ancient Jewish symbols of remembrance connect us to generations before us.
Pause in silence for the hostages and their families still waiting.
Silence itself can be a form of prayer.
Breathe into resilience.
Sit for a moment, close your eyes, and notice where in your body you feel strength or tenderness. Allow your breath to soften and hold that place with care.
Connect.
Call or text someone you know is also remembering today. Sometimes the greatest comfort is simply knowing we don’t carry the weight alone.
Two years later, we remember, we grieve, and we hope. We remember those who were killed, we grieve with families still waiting for answers, and we hold in our hearts those living every day with the effects of war.
In honoring lives and validating pain, we remind one another that grief is not weakness, and that resilience does not erase sorrow. Our community is bound together in memory, in compassion, and in the ongoing work of healing.
May this day give us the courage to face pain honestly, to hold each other gently, and to continue seeking a future rooted in dignity and peace.
RESOURCES
Shalom Task Force Confidential Call or Text Hotline: (888)883-2323
Monday-Thursday 10 AM - 10 PM
Friday 10 AM- 1 PM
The Blue Dove Foundation– Coping with Grief and Trauma Following October 7 and Recent Events in Israel, Gaza, and the United States:
The Blue Dove Foundation– Coping- Addressing the Difficult Moments as they Arise:
https://thebluedovefoundation.org/resource/coping-addressing-the-difficult-moments-as-they-arise/
The Blue Dove Foundation– Navigating Difficult Conversations:
https://thebluedovefoundation.org/navigating-difficult-conversations/
Hillel International– Jewish Resources for Resilience:
https://www.hillel.org/jewish-resources-for-resilience/
Taste of Memories– cookbook to honor and remember those lost through their recipes:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KuO9SaP2vDEy_XMDxpETNVzdSLmoki4R/view
Poems of October 7th:
https://poetrytreasure.com/?page_id=8670
Commemorating October 7- Creating Space During the Chaggim:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmt2nTQgqh4
If you would like to continue this conversation or share your own reflections, please reach out to the CUJF Jewish Family Service Coordinator at [email protected].