Hundreds crowded into Beth Tikvah Synagogue in Richmond Oct. 7 to mark three years since the worst horrors in Israeli history. Of the 1,200 murdered on Oct. 7, 2023, nine held Canadian citizenship, including Vancouver’s Ben Mizrachi.
The commemoration brought together rabbis, community leaders, Israeli youth emissaries, members of the Jewish community, allies and elected officials to reflect on the events of that day, the losses sustained in the three years since, and the resilience of Israelis and Jewish communities worldwide.
Jonathon Leipsic, chair of the Jewish Federation of British Columbia (JFBC) and a grandchild of refugees who fled the pogroms of Eastern Europe, spoke of millennia of continuity.
“I was born in Winnipeg, but I’m from Judea,” he said. “Those are where my roots are from.… I’m the great-great-great-great – well, 135 greats – child of grandparents that gathered at the foot of a mountain in the desert, liberated slaves, and they heard the word of God. Those people changed the face of humanity forever.
“They brought the oneness of a creator,” he continued. “They brought the humanity and the justice of the Ten Commandments. And my family and your family have stewarded that message from Sinai to now, against headwinds that are beyond my comprehension.
“On Oct. 7, 2023, my life changed forever,” said Leipsic, describing messages and calls he received from terrified friends and family in Israel that day.
“It was so beyond my comprehension, so far beyond my wildest nightmares,” he said. “I had always known my whole life that there was Tzva Haganah LeYisrael, that there was the IDF, that never again would saftas and children and women and wives be left alone, unprotected, to bear the unthinkable. That was in the past, I was so certain, but sadly it wasn’t.
“I reflect on that day three years ago and that suffering and the pain that my heart has, the fact that I continue to live while Ben Mizrachi was shot returning to Nova to help others, or the voice of his father saying Kaddish behind my friend Howard Kallner and myself as we daven … and hearing him say Kaddish with such kavanah and such intent that his son’s neshamah should have an aliyah.”
Each of Metro Vancouver’s pulpit rabbis shared stories of individuals killed on Oct. 7 or in the war that began then.
Rabbi Susan Tendler, spiritual leader of Beth Tikvah, welcomed guests to the event, which was presented by JFBC in partnership with the Rabbinical Association of Vancouver, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, the Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee and Hillel BC. She referred to the “immense pain, uncertainty and loss, alongside the courage, connection, rebuilding and hope that continue to emerge.”
A recurring theme was the importance of remembering individuals rather than allowing the enormity of the tragedy to reduce its victims to statistics.
Among the stories was that of a 14-year-old girl who survived the attacks on Kibbutz Be’eri, witnessing scenes of brutality and receiving desperate messages from friends trapped in their homes. Another speaker remembered a fallen soldier not primarily for his military service but for his infectious smile, and his love of basketball and his mother’s apple pie.
Israeli shinshinim, young emissaries spending a year in Vancouver, offered particularly personal perspectives. One described the terrifying uncertainty of Oct. 7, when his family sheltered in their home near the Lebanese border while relatives in southern Israel endured 37 hours trapped in a safe room. His account also illustrated the profound impact of Canadian Jewish philanthropy, which helped his community rebuild damaged facilities, reopen its school and begin restoring normal life.
Other speakers highlighted the continuing recovery of northern Israeli communities devastated by Hezbollah attacks and prolonged displacement. They described projects supported by the JFBC, ranging from rehabilitation facilities for injured soldiers and trauma survivors to recreational programs for displaced children. One kibbutz chose to use recovery funding to create a garden, symbolizing the determination to restore not merely buildings but the routine pleasures and security of community life.
Several speakers reflected on the Jewish people’s enduring connection to Israel. The themes of Jewish identity, collective responsibility and perseverance were woven throughout the evening.
The commemoration also acknowledged the isolation and anxiety experienced by Canadian Jews over the past three years, expressing appreciation for allies and public officials who stand with the community.
Speakers returned repeatedly to the ideas of mourning and hope. Remembering the dead, supporting survivors, rebuilding communities and affirming Jewish life were presented as interconnected expressions of resilience. The prevailing message was that remembrance must extend beyond grief into action, solidarity and renewed commitment to life.
Another gathering took place concurrently outside the Vancouver Art Gallery, sponsored by the organization TAFSIK.
“I think it is crucial that our community has a visible public presence commemorating the victims of Oct. 7, and we invited members of other communities to join us in solidarity on this day,” Masha Kleiner, who organized the outdoor event, told the Independent.
