People across Connecticut are finding ways to mark one year after Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel and the start of the Israel-Hamas war.
Gov. Ned Lamont is expected to speak Monday night at Beth El Temple in West Hartford, which is hosting a community memorial. A variety of synagogues and Jewish community groups are partnering to host the event.
Organizers say it’s a chance to remember those who have died, to honor first responders and the Israeli military and to “stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Israel."
Gatherings will also be held in Stamford, Greenwich and other cities across the state.
Gatherings were held over the weekend in support of Palestinians affected by the war in Gaza.
At an event called Day of Action, people gathered in New Haven over the weekend for a pro-Palestinian rally, joining others in cities across the U.S. and around the world.
Organizers said on Instagram that people in Gaza “showed the world that the colonized can fight against their colonizer and win.”
“As we approach the one-year mark of Israel’s genocide on Gaza, we salute our people’s steadfastness and resistance,” organizers said on social media. “Amidst this genocide, our people in Gaza, across Palestine, and across the world remain steadfast in our resistance.”
The Council on American-Islamic Relations said in a statement that it is "long past time" for President Joe Biden to use American leverage to “force the Israeli government to accept a comprehensive ceasefire deal that ends the genocide in Gaza, frees all captives and political prisoners, averts an all-out regional war and addresses the root cause of decades of recurring violence: the illegal occupation of Palestine."
Dozens of Jewish community members gathered Sunday night in New Haven, calling for the U.S. government to “stop arming Israel.”
“This has been a year of profound grief,” Miranda Rector, member of the chapter leadership team with Jewish Voice for Peace, said in a statement. “As a Jewish community member, I choose to honor that grief by demanding that the U.S. government stop sending billions of dollars in weapons to Israel. Enough is enough. We must take action to prevent further loss of life.”
A need for mental health care, official says
The leader of a Connecticut aid group says Palestinians living in Gaza are still suffering in the war.
Janti Soeripto is president of Save the Children, a Fairfield-based nonprofit that provides food, healthcare and education to young people around the world.
Speaking on Connecticut Public Radio's “Where We Live,” Soeripto described her conversation with a mother in Gaza, who was living under a tarp after having moved repeatedly to run away from the fighting.
“We were talking about all these issues — the lack of food, lack of clean water, kids had no shoes — but then she said to me: ‘But what I actually need the most is mental health support,’” Soeripto said. “And she sort of recognizes, she says: ‘When I look at my children they're so traumatized, I would prioritize mental health support over food security.’”
Soeripto says children in Israel have also been traumatized by the horror of the attack a year ago, while also coping with the fear of incoming rocket fire.
Statements from elected officials
U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy said the U.S. will “always stand with the people of Israel against any and all threats” and called for a diplomatic solution that “ensures the safe return of the hostages, an end to this war, and a two-state future.”
“What happened on October 7th was unconscionable, and Hamas must be held accountable,” Murphy said in a statement. “My heart remains with those grieving the loss of their family members and friends, and those still waiting for their loved ones’ return, as well as every member of the Jewish community, which has faced a disgusting rise in antisemitism over the past year.”
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal said on social media Monday that he was in Israel. He noted that “pain and grief are deep and moving.” He noted he’s part of a bipartisan delegation overseas that’s visiting various Middle East countries and that he’s hopeful that diplomacy may “achieve a cessation of fighting, leading to the return of the hostages and a path toward normalizing relations in the region, along with humanitarian aid and rebuilding.”
“The searing shock, agony and outrage of that day is still raw and deep,” Blumenthal said. “I also remember vividly the resolve and resilience of the Jewish community in Connecticut and around the country.”
Connecticut Public's Matt Dwyer contributed to this report.