Members of Ottawa’s Jewish community gathered Wednesday night to mark the third anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack in Israel. Hamas militants killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages on Oct. 7, 2023. The attack was the deadliest in Israel’s history. In Ottawa, Wednesday night was one of solemn reflection, as hundreds of residents gathered to honour the victims. Maya Gomen was in Israel when the attack occurred. “We were in that saferoom until 5 p.m. or so,” she recalled. “Throughout that day, also, we heard shooting. We had to tell the kids to be quiet. I just remember it looking like a total war zone.” The attack prompted swift retaliation from Israel, killing tens of thousands of Palestinians and leaving much of Gaza in ruins. In the years that have followed, Jewish people in Canada have experienced a wave of antisemitism. Recently, a former Canadian Armed Forces soldier, Sean Ward, drove to a synagogue in Belleville, Ont., on the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur and was killed in a shootout with a local police officer. Antisemitic flyers were later distributed in the area, according to police. “October 7th, the terrorist attacks there seemed to give permission to a feeling of deep antisemitism, to unleash that antisemitism, unfortunately,” said Danya Vered, chair of the Jewish Federation of Ottawa. “It gave permission for people to express it a lot more overtly.” Prime Minister Mark Carney issued a statement on Wednesday, unequivocally condemning Hamas and paying tribute the Canadians who were killed, including Adi Vital-Kaploun, who has a large extended family in Ottawa. “Time has not erased the grief of that day or the absence it left behind,” Carney said. “Every Jewish Canadian has the right to be visibly, fully, joyfully Jewish in public life – at school, at work, on the street, in synagogue, in every place that is theirs because Canada is theirs.” For many at Wednesday night’s gathering, there was hope for better days ahead. “We had hope that at this time in our lives, things would be peaceful and we can get along with everybody,” said resident Hellen Alvo. “We’re still hopeful this can happen.” With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Shaun Vardon
