MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – The Miami Beach Hebrew Academy held a solemn ceremony Monday morning, marking the one-year anniversary of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks on Israel.
The private school gathered students and staff for a special remembrance event in the gymnasium, reflecting on the devastation and loss.
“Walking into the gym, seeing all the people and the hostages unfortunately, definitely made me feel for everybody,” said Julian Horovits, a junior at Hebrew Academy.
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The ceremony included empty chairs, each marked with a photo of one of the Israelis taken hostage by Hamas during the attack. Some of the photos were placed on high chairs, symbolizing the children among the hostages.
“It’s emotional, it’s sad. It’s something you can’t even explain in words,” added sophomore Daniel Shabi.
Horovits, who was in Tel Aviv when the attack happened, shared his harrowing experience. He recalled waking up to sirens and the chaos of that day.
“The scariest part for me personally was we didn’t know if there were terrorists in Tel Aviv, which is where I was staying,” he said. Horovits managed to board one of the last flights out of Israel, witnessing rockets being intercepted as his plane took off.
For Shabi, the attacks hit even closer to home. His uncle, Luftan, was attending the Nova Music Festival, one of the first sites targeted by Hamas militants.
“My little brother told me, ‘Your uncle Luftan is at the festival,’ and I was like, ‘What? There’s no way.’” Shabi’s family spent a week and a half searching for his uncle before his body was found. “It’s like taking a piece from our heart and just breaking it,” Shabi said.
Students also toured an exhibit set up by the school’s seniors, which provided information on the events of that day and the tunnels under Gaza where many hostages were held.
“It’s definitely a sad thing but we’re praying every day, wishing they could come home and everybody’s safe, and that’s all we can do,” Horovits concluded.
The ceremony served as a stark reminder of the ongoing war and the many lives still affected.
Read the story in Spanish by clicking here.
At Florida International University’s main campus, Israeli flags were planted one by one in the grass on the Graham Center lawn as part of a program Monday.
Jennifer Brand is an FIU student and one of many who gathered for an afternoon vigil.
“Here at FIU, we’re looking to make sure that we’re allowed to tell our story and make sure it’s recognized properly,” she said. “We have friends that have lost family, friends, so it’s still a year in our hearts.”