It has been confirmed by dental records that the mastermind behind the October 7, 2023 attack on innocent civilians has been killed.
Yahya Ibrahim Hassan Sinwar, commonly known as Yahya Sinwar, was a Palestinian politician, who was the chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau and was the Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip. The Washington Post wrote “Sinwar’s body was identified after DNA testing in Israel, said two Israeli officials speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Separately, a comparison with dental records also confirmed that the body is Sinwar’s.”
October 7, 2023, sadly, another day that should never be forgotten, Hamas unleashed a vicious attack on Israel, killing over 1,200 innocents, taking over 250 people hostage, and shattering the global Jewish community’s sense of safety.
From the U.S. Department of State:
October 7th, 2023 was the day when Hamas took 254 people hostage – including 12 Americans. An estimated 101 of those hostages still remain in Gaza, including seven Americans: Itay Chen, Judith Weinstein, Gad Haggai, Edan Alexander, Keith Siegl, Sagui Dekel-Chen, and Omer Neutra. Hamas should release every one of these hostages immediately and the United States will not rest until they are returned to their families.
One year ago the City of La Mirada and its residents stood in silence and solidarity with Temple Beth Ohr and local religious leaders to pray for those taken hostage and for their families. As Temple members held up the Israeli flag, it was a sobering day.
Last Monday, October 7, 2024, the Alpert Jewish Community Center in Long Beach hosted a memorial for over 400 people, including clergy from local synagogues, on the first anniversary of that horrible massacre. The community needed to mourn those who lost their lives and embrace their families, pray for the remaining hostages, pay tribute to the heroes who fought to defend the Jewish people and reaffirm their community’s strength and commitment to Israel.
‘Resilience in the Rubble’ exhibit
The guest speaker was Lone Soldier Barak Moritz, from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) 7th Armed Brigade. He shared his horrific and terrifying experience while engaged in the fight against Hamas. A Lone Soldier is a soldier in the IDF with no family in Israel to support them. Moritz grew up in Long Island, NY, and moved to Israel with his family at age 10. At age 18, he was drafted into the IDF as a paratrooper and placed in the Palsar unit assigned to the 7th Armed Brigade. Palsar units specialize in reconnaissance, advanced weapons, and special intelligence. He was living in San Diego when Hamas attacked on October 7th, and returned to Israel immediately upon learning that his company was called to service.
Students from Beach Hillel, the organization that serves Jewish students at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) and other colleges in the area, spoke honestly about the protests that they have encountered. Activists around the country have called on schools to defund or even shut down Hillel International centers. It has been reported [Mondoweiss, a publication about news and opinions about Palestine, Israel and the United States] that five Cal State Long Beach professors are being reprimanded by the school for their role in a Palestine solidarity protest. The move appears to be retribution for an article exposing the school’s ties to the Gaza genocide. The students spoke about their fears and a letter sent to Chancellor Garcia and California State University Board of Trustees, It begins:
We, the undersigned, are faculty and staff members from diverse California State University campuses. We are deeply concerned about the safety and well-being of Jewish and Israeli students, staff, and faculty as anti-Jewish hate and anti-Israel rhetoric and violence continues to grow and run rampant on our campuses and have been normalized in routine processes and instruction. Since the massacres of October 7th, we have watched in horror and bewilderment as individual faculty and even whole departments have fomented a hostile and threatening climate for Jewish and Israeli members of the CSU community. In recent weeks, this has been further exacerbated by new anti-Israel rallies and illegal encampments on several campuses, which are fueling antisemitism.
The ‘undersigned’ were over 100 current and emeritus CSU faculty and staff.
Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson stated, “I visited the ‘Resilience in the Rubble’ exhibit at the Alpert Jewish Community Center, recognizing one year since the horrific October 7th attacks. The exhibit’s thoughtful curation not only fostered reflection but meaningful conversations.
Thank you to Chief Executive Officer Deborah Goldfarb, and team for creating this impactful space.” Rabbi Len Muroff of Temple Beth Ohr added “It was an honor to stand with a united Jewish community to recall and honor the victims of October 7th and to recall the horrors. The pain is real. Being together with others is key. We are blessed to be part of the Jewish community of greater Long Beach.”
“To quote the first female Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir: ‘Peace will come when the Arabs love their children more than they hate us.’ Until that day, may the IDF find the courage and the strength to use whatever means possible to protect our nation’s most precious gift: our children. They selflessly and courageously protect Israel to allow every Jew around the world to have a safe refuge so ‘never again’ does not just become an empty slogan.”
~ Jennifer Schrutt / Philadelphia Jewish Exponent ~
This video is rerun with permission by the Alpert Jewish Community Center and Chief Executive Officer Deborah Goldfarb Marking One Year : October 7th
By Leslie Berger & Tammye McDuff
