The ceremony was organized by the World Zionist Organization, KKL-JNF, the United Israel Appeal, and the Jewish Agency. The chairs of the national institutions laid wreaths in the memory of the victims, along with representatives of the victims' families.
On Saturday, October 7th, during the Simchat Torah holiday, Israel came under the murderous attack of the Hamas terrorist organization, which claimed the lives of 1,400 people – loved ones, relatives and friends – in a single day of bloodshed.
During the ceremony, Doron Libstein, who lost his brother Ofir (head of the Sha'ar HaNegev regional council) in the attack, along with his nephew Nitzan, spoke.
A choir of newcomer children from Ethiopia, who live at the Ivim immigration center (which also came under the attack and its residents had to hide), sang at the ceremony, and left the audience deeply moved. The choir changed its name to "Ofir Heart Ivim", to commemorate the beloved head of the council.
The heads of the national institutions laid wreaths along with members of the victims' families: the chair of the World Zionist Organization, Yaakov Hagoel, laid a wreath with his two nephews, whose father, medical staff member Assaf Schlezinger, was murdered on October 7th.
General (res.) Doron Almog, chairman of the Jewish Agency, laid a wreath with the parents of Gili Adar, a guide at the agency's summer camps, who guided the Tzabar group of IDF soldiers who came to Israel alone from other countries. Gili was murdered at the party in Re'im, at the age of 24.
KKL-JNF chair, Ifat Ovadia Luski, laid a wreath with the mother of Captain Eden Nimni, commander of the "Sky Rider" team, who died while fighting bravely at the "Nahal Oz" outpost. They were joined by KKL-JNF deputy board chair Robert Tiviev, a resident of Ofakim who survived the night of horrors in October 7th and joined the ZAKA workers in evacuating the bodies of his friends.
Sam Grundwerg, chair of the United Israel Appeal, laid a wreath with the grandfather of Master Sergeant (res.) Omri Belkin and the brother of Sergeant Nathaniel Young. Belkin served at the IDF counter-terrorism unit and was killed during the battles in Kibbutz Be'eri. Young came from England to join the IDF, and served as a soldier in 13th battalion of the Golani Brigade, and was killed during the battles at the Gaza Envelope.
Photograph: Yossi Zeliger, KKL-JNF