On October 7th, 2023, on the holiday of Simchat Torah, Hamas fighters and their supporters broke through the Gazan border and launched a devastating attack, resulting in the tragic loss of 1,189 lives and the kidnapping of 250 men, women, and children. There are no words to describe the horror that took place on one of the happiest days of the Jewish calendar.
Yet, mere hours after the Jewish world suffered the most painful day since the Holocaust, the Jewish people began to mobilize in unprecedented numbers. In Israel, civilians set up “war rooms” to provide essential support, from laundering clothes for evacuees and organizing meals for bereaved families to coordinating supplies for the military. In parallel, Jews in the Diaspora raised millions of dollars, sent planeloads of humanitarian aid, and came to volunteer to rebuild destroyed communities and help farms in the South of Israel.
One year later, we continue to confront the harsh realities of war: thousands of Israelis remain displaced, soldiers are engaged in ongoing battles in the North and South, and around 100 hostages are still suffering in captivity. However, we are also working hard to start a journey of healing. In order to process this difficult year, we at MLIC have curated a collection of resources to support educators in facilitating meaningful discussions with their Masa fellows.
This collection offers diverse perspectives and methodologies, including podcast interviews with hostage families, songs written by Israeli artists, and a book of poetry by Israelis reflecting on the events of October 7th. Many resources are accompanied by detailed lesson plans, ready to use in the classroom and in the field.
We invite you to explore these resources and hope that they will help you create spaces that can both honor our communal pain and our enduring commitment to life and hope.
