The World Zionist Organization Chairman, Yaakov Hagoel, the representative of World Likud at the National Institutions, has been chosen by the Jerusalem Post as one of the 50 most influential Jews for 5784. According to the paper, in a year marked by war, rising Antisemitism and an increased demand for Aliyah, his unifying leadership has championed Zionism while also continuing to address the urgent needs of the Jewish people globally. The Post further noted that, during this challenging period, the World Zionist Organization has initiated programs to help the Jewish people through targeted fundraising in Diaspora Jewish communities to help IDF soldiers and by organizing temporary accommodation for evacuees and the families of the hostages. Over the past year, the World Zionist Organization has also worked to bring together Diaspora community leaders from around the world for in-depth discussions on how to contend with the changed reality. Another of the World Zionist Organization’s achievements was a successful initiative to gain Israel government recognition for Jews from the Diaspora who lost their lives in antisemitic terror attacks and create a dedicated commemorative project as part of Israel’s national commemoration.
The Chairman of the World Zionist Organization attended the Knesset Committee’s special commemorative meeting to mark one year since the October 7 atrocities. During the discussion, he made particular mention of the redoubled mobilization by Jewish communities throughout the Diaspora since the outbreak of the war, in support of the State of Israel, its serving combatants and civilians. The session opened with the observation of a minute’s silence in memory of the heavy toll of lives, both those murdered and the fallen.
The representatives arrived on a solidarity mission to mark one year since the October 7 atrocities. The Chairman of the World Zionist Organization accompanied them on their visit to the National Memorial Hall for Israel’s Fallen, where they laid a wreath and held a remembrance ceremony for the fallen. From there, the group continued to Mount Herzl, where the Chairman of the World Zionist Organization thanked them for their unwavering support for Israel over the years, and this past year, in particular.
The Chairman of the World Zionist Organization, Yaakov Hagoel, welcomed the delegation of legislators led by the Chairman of the Appropriations Committee of the US House of Representatives, Tom Cole. The visit included a wreath-laying ceremony at the grave of the visionary of the State of Israel, Theodor Herzl. The group also visited Israel’s National Military Cemetery, where they had a chance to hear about some of Israel’s fallen soldiers during the “Iron Swords” war who held dual American and Israeli citizenship and fell in defense of Israel. The delegation’s mission represents a significant link in the process of ongoing Israel-US military cooperation.
To mark the October 7 atrocities, Ynet media and the Yediot Ahronot group produced a day of dedicated broadcasts, which included an interview with Vice-Chairman and Acting Chairman of the World Zionist Organization, Dr. Yizhar Hess, who addressed the impact of the October 7 events on Israel-Diaspora relations. He presented the scope of WZO activity programs and visiting missions over the past year that serve to strengthen the bond with Diaspora Jewry, in addition to ongoing activity to contend with and combat the surge in Antisemitism afflicting Jewish communities since October 7.
The Setteottobre Association, in conjunction with the WZO, organized an international conference to commemorate the anniversary of the October 7 atrocities, which convened against the backdrop of Israel’s ongoing war on multiple fronts, the continued captivity of over 100 hostages by Hamas, and the escalation of hostility and anti-Israel sentiment in the foreign media and international fora. The conference, which took place in Rome, issued a strong denunciation of the response by leadership in the West to the atrocities of the black Shabbat of October 7 and stressed that Israel has been fighting terror, not only on its own behalf but for the entire western world. Setteottobre is a non-Jewish coalition formed in the wake of the October 7 massacres in order to commemorate the events and combat terror and hate, and to show that the Jewish people and the State of Israel do not stand alone. The cooperation between the World Zionist Organization and the organization serves to strengthen alliances with friends of the Zionist movement who can impact anti-Israel discourse and engage with populations outside Jewish community circles. The 500 participants at the conference hail from all walks of life, with the participation of many distinguished figures – including former and current members of parliament, former ambassadors, journalists, etc. The proceedings were also live-streamed worldwide to a large audience. The President of the World Zionist Organization, Ms. Tova Dorfman, addressed the participants, as did many other important figures. These included Manuel Valls, former Prime Minister of France (2014-2016); Joschka Fischer, former Vice-Chancellor of Germany; Paola Concia, former Member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies; Natasha Hausdorff, a UK barrister with an expertise in International Law, and many more.
October 7, 2024, marked the first anniversary of the terrible atrocities that will be forever etched in the State of Israel’s records and memory as an unforgettable and unprecedented trauma of national dimensions. A series of dedicated content resources was produced to help commemorate the victims of the massacre and to spotlight their heroism and hopes for the speedy return of the hostages. The complete educational material is available for download in Hebrew, English and Spanish and has also been distributed via the World Zionist Organization’s departments to Jewish communities in the Diaspora.
The World Zionist Organization and the Jewish Agency for Israel produced memorial stickers in advance of the memorial ceremonies so that people would be able to wear them to commemorative events. The stickers depict Israel’s national flower, the anemone, symbolizing resilience and hope, with one leaf bearing a yellow ribbon, for solidarity with the hostages. The project aroused considerable interest, with over 100,000 stickers being distributed throughout North America, which generated further demand for stickers from many other Jewish communities around the world.
A range of moving and meaningful events took place in diverse venues worldwide, with the assistance of the respective World Zionist Organization departments, to commemorate the victims of October 7 and the fallen alongside the hope for a better future and the return of the hostages:
WZO teacher shlichim teams organized memorial ceremonies and displays at Jewish schools around the world. They also produced a video clip, entitled “Shlichim, the world over - standing together as a people.” The short film conveys solidarity as they embrace all Israel’s citizens and Diaspora Jewry from afar, delivering the message that, beyond the memorial and grief of bereavement and heavy loss that we continue to feel, the Jewish people is stronger than ever. We stand firm and will continue to flourish the flag of Israel with pride and pray for the release of the hostages and the welfare of Israel’s security forces as well as for the recovery of the wounded and the evacuees’ return to their homes.
On October 7, the ‘Eternal Embrace’ exhibit by photographer Ifat Peer went on display at the UN in New York. This production is an initiative of the Zionist Council in Israel, in conjunction with the World Jewish Congress and the MomToo project, narrating the stories of 26 young men and women who were murdered in the attack or lost their lives during the war, through their mothers’ eyes. Mounting the display at the UN represents a significant diplomacy achievement for Israel and has enabled ambassadors and representatives from many countries to become exposed to these narratives. Sigal Shteiner-Manzuri, who was also photographed for the exhibit, attended in person. Her two daughters, Nurel and Ravia z”l, were murdered at the Nova music festival, along with Nurel’s partner, Amit Cohen z”l.
Tens of thousands took part in the October 7 Remembrance event in Paris, held under the joint auspices of the World Zionist Organization, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael, the Israel Embassy in France, the Jewish Agency for Israel, Keren Hayesod and dozens of local Jewish organizations. The families of hostages Raz Calderon and Ohad Yahalomi were present at the rally, as was Ayelet Samerano, mother of Yonatan Samerano z”l. Singer Idan Raichel performed a moving rendition of his song, ‘Shoshanim Atzuvot’ (‘Sad Roses’) and the last testament of soldiers Ben Zussman and Adi Leon z”l, who fell in Gaza, were read from the podium. All the rally participants joined in a prayer for the remaining 101 hostages and for the welfare of IDF soldiers.
The commemorative ceremony was attended by 500 members of the local expatriate Israeli community, with guests of honor Adolf Schultz, the Chancellor of Germany, the mayor of Hamburg, and a number of government ministers. The impressive and deeply moving ceremony incorporated resources from the World Zionist Organization’s ‘From Agony to Harmony’ educational kit.
Many other Jewish communities and organizations have utilized the ceremony ideas from the resource booklet, which has appeared in three languages. Some 20 or so known users in North America include: JCC Los Angeles and the Israel Scouts clubs in Arizona and New York, as well as Toronto, Vancouver and many others. Many Jewish communities in Europe also benefitted from the educational kits, including those in Germany, Bulgaria, Denmark, Spain and Italy. Ceremonies based on these resources were also held in Latin America in Buenos Aires, Mexico, Paraguay, Urugay and Venezuela. Last but not least, the educational guide has also been used in South Africa and Israel.
In Sydney, Australia, Israeli media journalist Elad Simchayoff led a ceremony for the local Israeli expatriate community, at which the Head of Department for Organization and Israelis Abroad, Gusti Yehoshua-Braverman, was also a guest.
Over 600 October 7 Memorial events took place in the United States and Canada, planned by Jewish organizations and Federations, JCCs, youth movements and synagogues. Michal Cababia, the World Zionist Organization Executive’s representative, participated at a number of the remembrance events, including the one in Central Park, which was organized by JFNY and drew a crowd of over 5,000 participants. Guests of honor included Kathy Hochul, the Governor of New York, and Eric Adams, Mayor of New York, as well as families of the victims and survivors of the October 7 atrocities, who shared their personal experiences from that day. At the New Jersey memorial ceremony, where the exhibit entitled, ‘I Saw a Bird at My Window,’ produced by the Department for Organization and Israelis Abroad, was on display, Michal Slawny Cababia also delivered an address on behalf of the World Zionist Organization.
An online call was held for Latin American Jewish communities with the family of one of the hostages, to mark one year since October 7 and to raise awareness about the plight of the hostages and their families. Approximately 80 people from different Spanish-speaking countries took an active part in the memorial event.
1,000 young Jewish women from the Diaspora, newly arrived in Israel for a year of Torah studies, participated at a meaningful memorial event to commemorate October 7.
In Buenos Aires, the local Aliyah Promotion Department team played an active role in the production and program for a memorial and Israel solidarity ceremony, which was held at the Maccabi Community Center, where a memorial monument to the victims of October 7 was unveiled. About 500 participants attended the event.
Memorial and solidarity ceremonies were organized and run by local Aliyah Promotion Department teams in the following communities: Córdoba (3,000 participants), San Miguel (5,000), Buenos Aires (30,000), Resistencia (1,000), Neuquén (500), Salta (500), Tucumán (2,000), Santiago del Estero (2,000), Mar del Plata (2,000) and Santa Fé (2,000.)
In Karmiel, the ceremony was held in conjunction with the Zionist Council in Israel. In Rosh Ha’ayin, a live link was provided to watch the national memorial ceremony, in conjunction with the Centers for Social Justice.
The Education Department initiated a memorial encounter for all World Zionist Organization personnel, with a discussion based on readings and short films, and allowing time and space to share personal and collective memories.
One of the programs organized in Israel to commemorate October 7 was a ‘Wall of Heroism’ activity in Spanish and English, for 100 members from the Zionist youth movements in the Diaspora, to enable them to run similar events in their home countries.
‘Ten Days of Hope’ Project – Batel Elfasi and Mor Peled, two Israeli women artists from Israel’s Gaza border region who experienced the horrors of October 7, met with Deborah Wasserman and Gal Cohen, two New York women artists, and curator Aya Goshen at the Manhattan JCC. The meeting between the artists, who worked side by side in a shared space on their art, as well as the artists’ encounter with the local community in New York yielded dialogues, connections and bridges that also found their way into their creative media. The outcome of their collaboration is an amazing display that recounts the stories of the uprooted communities yet brings a tale of hope and reconnection, too. Their creative works focus, inter alia, on the significance of the home and are available for download or print for succot built by Jewish communities, under the auspices of the ‘Sukkat Shalom’ (‘Shelter of Peace”) project.
With the passing of one year since the black Shabbat, two of the survivors – Ber Kalmanovich and Shenhav Davul – traveled to Germany to relate their experiences. They presented their narratives at an encounter with personnel from the Barussia Dortmund football club.
A series of preparatory meetings took place prior to October 7, 2024, at which content ideas were proposed for the memorial day, along with support and guidance on how to utilize them.
A symposium bringing together 40 experts, researchers, people in the field and educators came together to brainstorm strategy on the subject. The meeting included intensive, in-depth discussions about Jewish identity, brainstorming ideas to connect the Diaspora Jewish community, and trend analysis in relation to the young generation. Head of Department for Zionist Enterprises, Silvio Joskowicz, presented the vision and opportunities existing when one can connect young Jews who suddenly seek affiliation and connection with Israel. Further workshops are planned for in Israel and the Diaspora in the coming weeks, with the goal of devising innovative ways to connect previously uninvolved Jews as active participants in established community life, while laying especial emphasis on Israel’s focal place in Jewish identity.
A memorial ceremony took place in the city of Sderot on September 25, marking the end of the 12-month period since the atrocities of October 7 and the outbreak of the “Iron Swords” War. The ceremony was livestreamed on Facebook.
The ongoing war has taken, and sadly continues to exact a heavy toll of lives. Together with the President of the State of Israel and the Mayor of Jerusalem, the Chairman of the World Zionist Organization attended the formal unveiling of a monument to commemorate the 84 natives of Jerusalem who fell during the war, whether on active service or as victims murdered in defense of the Jewish people and Israel.
