JCC Spring Community Report 2024 - Flipbook - Page 6
Commemorating October 7 in Community
This October we came together as a community to reflect,
commemorate, and honor the victims of the October 7th attack
on Israel, pray for the safe and swift return of the hostages,
and express our sincere hopes and prayers for a quick end to
the ongoing war that has impacted our community and the
Jewish people around the world. In uncertain and especially
difficult times our community has always risen to the occasion
and been a safe, welcoming, and accepting place where we can
come together to grieve, share our thoughts and concerns, ask
for help, lean on one another, and most importantly, continue
to celebrate Jewish life. To mark the anniversary of October
7th, and honor the memories of the victims of the ongoing war,
we offered the following programs and events at JCC Greater
Boston and throughout our community:
•
JCC Community Western Wall Project
JCC Greater Boston Diller Teen Fellows, in collaboration
with local artist Noni Armony, created an artistic
representation of the Western Wall (Kotel) that was on
display in the lobby of the Leventhal-Sidman JCC from
the end of September through mid-October. Community
members and individuals from all over the Greater
Boston area were invited to leave a personal note in the
JCC Western Wall, replicating the practice that is done
at the Kotel in Jerusalem, and at the end of October
all messages left in the wall were brought to Israel
and placed in the actual Kotel in Jerusalem. The JCC’s
Community Western Wall project was designed to provide
a different way for individuals to connect to Israel and
Judaism around the anniversary of October 7th.
•
An Evening with the Israel Story Podcast
JCC Greater Boston President/CEO, Lily Rabinoff-Goldman
served as the moderator for a conversation with Senior
Producer, Yochai Maital, about making Israel Story’s
“Wartime Diaries” program. The Israel Story Podcast
shares a variety of excerpts from interviews with Israelis
sharing their perspectives on what it is like to live in
Israel after October 7th. Lily’s conversation with Yochai
which took place at the Vilna Shul, provided an up close
and personal look at the ongoing trauma that has bred
an inspiring strength within the Israeli population during
this incredibly difficult time.
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