On Oct. 7, Yale and New Haven community members gathered across campus to mourn the thousands of deaths since Hamas’ attack on Israel last year and Israel’s retaliatory war in the ensuing months.
Hundreds congregated on Sunday and Monday to hold vigils for the deceased. Some also expressed grief through prayers, art and community discussions.
On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas launched an attack on Israel, killing about 1,200 Israelis and taking at least 240 more as hostages. About 100 of the hostages are still held captive in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 34.
In retaliation, Israel has launched a year-long military offensive in Gaza, which has killed more than 41,500 Palestinians. Over 2,000 individuals have been killed in Lebanon since Oct. 7 as well, in Israeli fire exchanges with Hezbollah, a U.S.-designated terrorist group.
On the year mark since the Hamas attack, the Yale community mobilized to mourn civilian deaths on and after Oct. 7. Some demanded the release of the hostages and others called for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Slifka Center and Chabad at Yale hold vigil
On Monday evening, the Slifka Center and Chabad at Yale held a vigil at the Women’s Table to mark the yahrzeit — or death anniversary — of the 1,200 Israelis killed in Hamas’ attack a year ago.
The vigil, which drew around 275 attendees, saw Israeli students reading out the numbers of Israelis murdered, killed in duty or kidnapped from each kibbutzim — or communal settlements — by Hamas. Students also read personal accounts of friends and acquaintances who were killed in the Oct. 7 attacks.
“Our focus must be on the mourner and their mourning and nothing else,” a speaker announced at the start of the vigil. “This is why, on one level, the main part of our program tonight will feature Israeli voices speaking with the directness of pain on this day.”
Vigil organizers led the crowd in Jewish prayers for honoring the dead and healing the sick. Afterward, organizers passed around yellow glow sticks, a symbol of solidarity with hostages which students raised while singing “Acheinu,” a prayer in Hebrew for the release of captives. The attendees also sang “Hatikvah,” the Israeli national anthem, and “Am Yisrael Chai,” a Jewish solidarity anthem.
At the end of the vigil, Slifka staff members encouraged students to make their way to the Slifka Center for further conversation or space for processing.
The Chaplain’s Office holds a silent vigil
On Sunday evening, Oct. 6, the Yale Chaplain’s Office held a silent vigil at the Women’s Table in front of Sterling Memorial Library to mourn Israeli, Palestinian and Lebanese lives lost in the past year.
“We gather in silence embracing our common humanity and allowing ourselves space to grieve,” Maytal Saltiel, the University Chaplain, read in a statement at the vigil. “At times like these the only thing we can do is quietly breathe the same air together. When words fail us, silence allows us to gather, to mourn, to lament, to be together and to support one another.”
Saltiel also asked the vigil’s roughly 125 attendees to write their prayers and “hopes for the world” on pieces of dissolvable paper, which they then placed in large basins of water around the Women’s Table.
The vigil involved chaplains from various faith traditions and was non-denominational. Saltiel confirmed to the News that the silent vigil was held on Oct. 6 out of consideration for the many community-specific mourning events the next day.
“There’s power in coming together, and our office seeks to do that lovingly,” Jenny Peek, Associate University Chaplain, told the News. “This was an event that was available for those who wanted to come together knowing that there's not a wrong way to grieve.”
FSJP-Yale hosts solidarity vigil
On Monday afternoon, the Yale chapter of Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine — or FSJP-Yale — held a solidarity vigil on Beinecke Plaza to “mark a year of mourning genocide and fighting for Palestinian freedom.”
At the vigil with around 70 attendees, faculty and staff members read poetry and placed flowers, keffiyehs and signs on the World War I Cenotaph on Beinecke Plaza. The signs contained messages such as “We will honor your memory,” “Gaza will never die” and “Free Palestine.”
Jonathan Wyrtzen, professor of sociology, led a moment of shared silence during the vigil.
At the end of the vigil, Ximena Lopez Carrillo, lecturer in Latinx Studies in the Program in Ethnicity, Race & Migration, invited attendees to write cards to place on the Cenotaph.
YFI sets up Shabbat table for hostages
On Cross Campus, Yale Friends of Israel organized a Shabbat table with a place set for each hostage still in captivity. Eytan Israel ’26, a board member of YFI, told the News that the 101 places represent the 101 hostages still in Gaza.
The table was also surrounded by pictures, posters and banners of the hostages in captivity or those who have been killed. Israel also said that in this “hostage table,” organizers included aspects of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year that happened last week, and referenced the Nova Music Festival, which was attacked by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023.
“It's very important just for our own humanity to realize that this was one of the greatest breach in human decency that has happened, and the greatest tragedy that befell the Jewish people since the Holocaust,” Israel said.
Y4P, MSA and JFC hold day of mourning
On Beinecke Plaza, following the vigil hosted by FSJP-Yale, students from Yalies4Palestine, the Muslim Students Association and Jews for Ceasefire hosted programming throughout the afternoon and evening to mourn “a year of immeasurable violence.”
At peak, around 150 attendees gathered in the plaza to participate.
“Today was about mourning and continuing to show up for each other,” Nadine Cubeisy ’26, a member of Yalies4Palestine, told the News.
Students performed a Janazah prayer, a Muslim prayer for the deceased, and prayed Maghrib, the sunset prayer, before making du‘a, a prayer, for Palestinians suffering from the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
Programming also included a community dinner, an art build and a singing circle led by Jews for Ceasefire. During the art build, attendees decorated and flew white kites, which Cubeisy said symbolized “hope in the face of loss” and referenced the poem “If I Must Die” by Refaat Alareer, a poet who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in December 2023.
Cubeisy expressed gratitude for having “the space to mourn,” saying that “Yale doesn’t provide” many spaces for her to mourn.
Shabtai holds commemoration
On Monday, the Jewish society Shabtai hosted an event “commemorating” Oct. 7, 2023.
Dean of Yale College Pericles Lewis gave opening remarks at the event and was followed by the keynote speaker, professor Robert Post, former dean of Yale Law School. Toby Hecht, director of Shabtai, ended the speaker portion of the event with closing remarks. The event continued with dancing and live music.
Some attendees told the News that they appreciated Lewis’ remarks as a University administrator.
Yogev Angelovici ’27 told the News that he felt the event was “reflective” and focused on “mourning” the day.
Ellen VanDyke Bell DIV ’25 also said that she felt that people “didn’t let” Jewish community members mourn and that she is “hoping the administration shows support [for this need to mourn].”
The Yale Chaplain’s Office offers grief and loss resources online and through appointment.
Correction, Oct. 8: This article has been updated with the correct spelling of the director of Shabtai’s last name, “Hecht.”
Landon Bishop, Ariela Lopez and Nora Moses contributed reporting.
Contact Yolanda Wang at yolanda.wang@yale.edu and Karla Cortes at karla.cortes@yale.edu.