More than 175 people gathered in Victoria to honour the victims of Oct. 7, 2023, stand together and share hope.
With prayers from Rabbi Elisha Herb and Rabbi Ilana Krygier Lapides, and reflections from Devorah Gillard, the event’s emcee, the evening united the audience in remembrance and solidarity. A highlight was an impromptu speech by Nooshin Keshavarz in support of Israel and the Jewish people, which moved attendees to approach her afterward with thanks and hugs of gratitude.
The evening included the screening of Always Together, a hope-filled documentary following a 12th-grade class displaced by the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, who created a temporary boarding school to process trauma, grieve lost friends and family, and rebuild a sense of normalcy.
Thanks go to the volunteers who helped and the Vic Theatre team. The event was made possible by the collaboration of the Jewish Federation of Victoria and Vancouver Island, the Jewish Federation of British Columbia’s Vancouver Island community connector, the Vancouver Island Jewish Film Festival and JCC Victoria.
– Courtesy Jewish Federation of British Columbia
