Brown-RISD Hillel organized a series of memorials on Monday to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel, which killed an estimated 1,200 people and took more than 250 people to the Gaza Strip as hostages, of which 105 have been released in negotiations and 35 have been confirmed dead.
At noon, around 30 people gathered under Faunce Arch to read the names of those killed by Hamas in the Oct. 7 attack and during Israel’s subsequent war in Gaza, which has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians.
Lexie Cohen ’28, who has family in Israel, said that listening to the names be read aloud was particularly difficult for her and other Hillel members, some of whom knew the people who were being mourned.
As rain poured down on Monday morning, several students and Hillel staff erected two long tables to honor the nearly 100 hostages who still remain in Gaza. They also laid out large milk cartons with the pictures of American citizens who had been taken hostage.
Hannah Repole GS said that the rainy weather “looms over the day” and resonates with how she and many others were feeling.
Victoria Zang ’26, a member of Brown Students for Israel’s executive board, said that the Main Green installation was a space to gather and raise awareness for the hostages being held in Gaza. She added that she skipped class in order to process the anniversary of the attacks.
Several people told The Herald that they found comfort in gathering as a community to collectively mourn the lives that were lost.
Miki Ben Zvi, who works at Hillel and is originally from Israel, said the memorial allowed grieving community members to see “the people that are with you and supporting you.”
In the evening, more than 75 community members gathered on the steps of the Stephen Robert ’62 Campus Center for a vigil, which included remarks from students and faculty with ties to Israel, a musical offering and prayers.
Zohar Slav ’26 spoke about the events of Oct. 7 and her concerns about a rise in antisemitism since the attacks. She emphasized the importance of remembering those who had died and supporting those who lost loved ones.
“The victims of Oct. 7 deserve life,” Slav said. “They deserve to dance in the music festivals in the deserts of Israel.”
Elihay Skital ’28, who grew up in Israel, spoke about the way that Israelis have struggled to process the attacks. “In the year that has passed, we’ve seen both darkness and light,” Skital said. “We’ve mourned, we’ve rebuilt and we’ve stood strong in the face of adversity.”
Dany Bahar, a senior fellow at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, urged Brown faculty to promote dialogue and community on campus.
“To faculty colleagues: don’t be part of the problem that seeks confrontation on campus, be part of the solution that seeks understanding and peace,” Bahar told attendees.
Several people who were present at the installation during the day told The Herald that they had been heckled by passersby.
Three police officers were present during the vigil.
“This was always going to be a difficult day,” Rabbi Josh Bolton told The Herald. But he emphasized that having a chance to mourn as a community “is going to be what is remembered.”
Sophia Wotman is a Senior Staff Writer covering the Affinity & Activism beat under University News. She is a junior from Long Island, New York concentrating in Political Science with a focus on women’s rights. She is a jazz trumpet player, and you’ll often find her performing on campus and around Providence.
Sam Levine is a University News editor from Brooklyn, New York covering on-campus activism. He is a senior concentrating in International and Public Affairs.
