The main ceremony organized by the families of victims of the October 7 massacre is being held in Tel Aviv's Yarkon Park on Wednesday.
The ceremony opened with singer Arkadi Duchin performing “Who Loves You More Than Me,” as participants reflected on the lives lost and the memories that have stayed with Israel since.
Duchin was filmed playing a piano placed in the Kipnis family home in Kibbutz Be’eri, where Eviatar “Teri” Kipnis and Lilach Kipnis were murdered, along with Paul Vincent Castelvi, Teri’s devoted caregiver.
Images of those murdered and fallen were projected behind Duchin. Standing beside him was Or-Li Niv, the mother of Staff-Sgt. Omri Niv Feierstein, a soldier in the Home Front Command’s Search and Rescue Brigade who fell in battle at the Zikim military base. Niv read the poem “Mothers” by Osnat Eldar.
Actress and comedian Shani Cohen spoke about what was lost that morning and the memories that have remained with the country ever since.
“And on that Saturday morning, we lost so much,” she said. “We lost some of the innocence we had, and our hearts burned.”
She recalled those who pleaded for help from safe rooms that were set ablaze and from crowded roadside shelters, as well as the desperate messages that became the soundtrack of an unimaginable reality and of people’s final moments.
“Tonight, we will stop to remember everything we lost, and also to ask what has remained within us since then,” Cohen said.
Eli Sharabi spoke of the children who hid for hours inside closets, those who were forced to hold their breath to protect young lives, parents who turned their bodies into human shields, and those who said goodbye in a short text message.
He also recalled neighbors who became like brothers, members of local security teams, and civilians who stepped forward without asking questions.
Sharabi referred to all those who fell in the October 7 war and to “those who saw the abyss open before them and remained human.”
He called on Israelis to remember and tell the story of what happened on the day when “the sky fell on us,” concluding: “We will remember them all and never forget. This is a ceremony of the people, created thanks to the people and held for the people.”
Opening memorial prayer recited by Ido Yakir
Later in the ceremony, Ido Yakir, a member of Kibbutz Magen’s local security team, recited a special Yizkor memorial prayer. Members of the team fought on the morning of October 7 and prevented terrorists from infiltrating the kibbutz. Two members of the team, Ofir Yaron and Avi Fleischer, were killed in the fighting.
“May the people of Israel remember its sons and daughters, the loyal and the brave, people of labor and peace, victims of the massacre of the Black Sabbath of 5784,” Yakir began.
The prayer remembered those murdered in their homes, in the fields, and on the roads of the western Negev, parents who tried to save their children, and partygoers who fled from terrorists.
“Those fallen whose bodies were taken into captivity, and those who were abducted alive and died in captivity,” he recited.
“We will remember the brave-hearted who came to the defense,” Yakir continued, mentioning members of local security teams, female and male soldiers at bases along the border, members of the security and rescue services, and civilians who rushed to help those under attack and were killed.
“We will remember all those who lived along the frontier, civilians and soldiers, strangers, residents, and guests, who with their bodies became our border. May those who fell on the Black Sabbath be sealed in the heart of Israel from generation to generation.”
Alongside the memory of those murdered and killed, the prayer was also dedicated to those left to cope with the loss. Survivors of the horrors, children, those wounded in body and mind, orphans, widows and widowers, and communities that were forced to leave their homes.
“Those rebuilding the ruins, returning to their land like streams in the Negev, and those whom the horrors of the past and the memory of their loved ones do not allow to return,” Yakir recited.
He concluded: “May the mourning neither fall silent nor find consolation nor fade until Israel dwells securely and in peace on its land, from generation to generation.”
Rabbi Beni Kalmanson, father of the late Elhanan Kalmanson, recited the Kaddish. On October 7, Elhanan set out with his brother and cousin to save lives, and fell in the fighting in Be'eri. This evening, his father stood at the memorial ceremony and spoke on his behalf:
"I stand here in the name of my son Elhanan, who sprang into action, fought, and fell for his people and for the sanctification of God’s name," Rabbi Kalmanson said before reciting the Kaddish. "For unity among the people, for overcoming divisions, for mutual responsibility among us, and for the struggle for what is good and worthy in the world."
Recounting those who fought to save others
Later in the ceremony, Shani Cohen and Eli Sharabi dedicated remarks to those who went out to fight and save lives amidst the chaos of the morning of October 7. Cohen described the moments in which, facing the horrific images, there were those who realized the responsibility fell upon them:
“Amid the chaos of the morning of October 7, against the backdrop of images of the border fence being trampled, white pickup trucks driving through Sderot, and heartbreaking live streams of entire families being murdered before our eyes, heroes emerged in the field who realized that if not them, all was lost; it was on them.”
Sharabi continued, describing the decision to head into battle even without organized orders:
“Without organized orders, they took responsibility upon themselves, left their homes, leaving families locked in the safe rooms, rushed out from command posts, police stations, and protected shelters, not out of a sense of heroism, but simply because they understood that this was them, this was what they had to do.”
Cohen mentioned the late Major Ido Shani, deputy commander of the Nahal Reconnaissance Battalion, and the order he relayed over the radio that morning:
“The late Major Ido Shani, deputy commander of the Nahal Reconnaissance Battalion, was, on the morning of October 7, the officer in charge of the Kerem Shalom–Sufa sector. At 6:43 AM, with the first barrage of rockets, he declared over the radio: ‘We are at war. Everyone to defense in their sector, kill terrorists, good luck.’”
Afterward, she spoke about the battle in which he fell, saying, “Minutes later, Ido ran into an ambush against terrorists and was killed in battle facing them.”
Ivri Lider and Eden Golan performed "The Song About the Land" (HaShir Al Ha'Aretz). Later, a video was screened in memory of two transport drivers who set out to rescue civilians on October 7: Abed Al-Karim Nasasra from Kuseife, who was murdered in a terrorist ambush on Route 232, and Haim Ben Aryeh, the legendary transport driver of Gush Katif, who evacuated children from Be'eri to the Dead Sea. The horrors to which Haim was exposed broke his spirit, and he took his own life at the end of October 2023.
After the performance, Youssef Nasasra said his brother Abed set out to rescue partygoers from the Nova festival despite the danger: "It doesn't matter, I know it's dangerous, but these people, they have to be brought back." Irit Ben Aryeh, Haim's widow, shared that she had asked him not to go. His answer was: "If I am needed, I am going."
The ceremony also featured a video honoring Camp Shura volunteers who helped identify those killed on October 7, Maariv reported. Sharabi paid tribute to the soldiers, police officers, emergency personnel, and volunteers who recovered and identified victims and helped bereaved families obtain answers.
Dr. Milkha Chesler, a volunteer dentist in the Israel Police’s casualty identification unit, described feeling a personal connection to every victim. Rabbi Menachem Perl, another volunteer featured in the video, spoke of the lasting emotional toll of the work.
'Without investigating the truth, we cannot repair'
Their testimonies were followed by Omri Shifroni's, a co-founder of the "Kumu" movement, who addressed the ceremony and spoke directly to his family members who were murdered at Kibbutz Be'eri. Shifroni is the uncle of Liel and Yanai Hetzroni and the nephew of the late Aviya and Ayala Hetzroni. Facing the crowd, he recalled the helplessness of that morning:
“My beloved family, you didn't have to be murdered. None of you. You were alone, defenseless, and I couldn't help either.”
From his family’s loss, Shifroni turned to the shattered trust during those agonizing hours waiting for help, saying, “That morning, the systems collapsed; the state failed to function. During those long hours in the safe room, the trust that had anchored us shattered to pieces. But there was also something else. Fighters pressed forward, broke through, and finally arrived. Civilians showed up with all their hearts, and we felt the full power of Israeli mutual solidarity.”
Alongside this mobilization, Shifroni demanded answers. In his words, the path to healing and rebuilding trust requires a full reckoning with what occurred:
“Yet mutual solidarity alone is not enough. To rebuild trust, we also need the truth. We must know what happened. Without investigating the truth, we cannot repair, and we cannot ensure that this will never happen again.”
Later in the ceremony, a video was screened in memory of the late Karin Journo, who was murdered in the “Ambulance of Death” along with 17 partygoers from the Nova festival. Her mother, Inbal, recalled the memories that remained with her: the birth, the first tooth, childhood, and the joy of life. From there, she turned to the final message and the 11 days during which the family still did not know what had become of her.
“I remember the day my Karin was born. I remember her first tooth, suddenly, beneath that little smile, a single white tooth peeked out. And after that came an entire life. A child, a girl, a young woman. School, girlfriends, the army, work, laughter. My Karin grew up, and I remember everything. I also remember the moment she told me she was going to the party, even with a broken leg. I remember the last message, with the last words. I remember the 11 days and nights of suffocating uncertainty and the fear of hoping. I haven’t forgotten for a single second the knock on the door with the shattering news that from my baby girl, whose teeth had only just come in yesterday, only three teeth remained. Three.”
Mother of Siman Tov family says they were 'abandoned and murdered'
Later in the ceremony, a video was screened in memory of the members of the Siman Tov family, who were murdered in their home in Nir Oz. Reuma Kedem, mother of the late Tamar Kedem Siman Tov, was filmed visiting the ruined family home. Against the backdrop of footage of the house, her voice was heard saying, “Enough with war. Enough of this bereavement, enough of the pain. In this burned home, my family, the Siman Tov family, was abandoned and murdered.”
Kedem also spoke of the lives that were meant to continue, of the young girls who should have been starting third grade, and the little boy who should have been going to kindergarten:
“I drift between worlds. I have family in heaven, and I have family on earth. Arbel and Shahar were supposed to enter third grade, and Omriki was supposed to go to the Tut kindergarten. There is no boundary to this pain, and there is no end to the sorrow.”
Yuri and Rosa Yadgarov's testimony
After another musical number, the story of Yuri and Rosa Yadgarov from Ofakim was presented. They had lived together for 55 years and were murdered in front of their only son, Mark. Shani Cohen described how a quiet family morning was shattered by sirens, and how the attempt to reach a shelter ended in the murder of both parents:
“Shabbat, Simchat Torah, Ofakim. Quiet. Yuri and Rosa Yadgarov with their only son, Mark, during a family morning. Suddenly, sirens, relentless rocket barrages. Mark runs outside to open the door of the communal shelter; Yuri and Rosa try to reach him. But a white pickup truck pulls up at the entrance to the building. Yuri is shot first and falls to the ground. Seconds later, they shoot Rosa, and she falls beside him. Mark, whose parents are being murdered before his eyes, is wounded by shrapnel, but manages to flee into the shelter and survives,” Cohen recounted.
'So many love stories cut short'
Eli Sharabi reflected on their 55 years together and on the love stories cut short that day:
“For fifty-five years, Yuri and Rosa lived together. On October 7, so many love stories were cut short, lovers murdered embracing in safe rooms, in living rooms, in the fields, on the dance floor, in vehicles, and on the sides of the road, trying to protect one another until their very last breath.”
Forty-six hostages were taken alive and never had the chance to return: they were murdered by Hamas or mistakenly killed by IDF fire. A segment of the ceremony was dedicated to their memory, opened by Shani Cohen with the words:
“The hands that reached out from the darkness pleading for help returned empty. They were not returned to their homes; they were returned for burial.”
Adi Marciano, mother of surveillance observer (tatzpitnit) the late Noa Marciano, addressed her daughter, speaking of a motherhood abruptly cut short and a grief for which she could never have prepared:
“My beloved Noa, for nineteen years you taught me what motherhood was, but you didn’t teach me what it means to be a bereaved mother. You didn’t teach me how to be a mother to a child who was abducted from us and never returned. Just like me, neither did the mothers of the 17 surveillance soldiers and combat fighters who were murdered and were there with you on that Shabbat, the last time we spoke.”
From her own personal pain, Marciano turned to the other families who had waited for their loved ones' return. She described the vigil beside the phone and the door, and the embrace they envisioned but never received:
“And like you, another forty-five hostages were taken alive and never made it back. They held on for weeks and months. In darkness, in fear. Clinging to life, waiting for someone to come save them. And all that time, their families waited by the phone. By the door. Imagining that moment, that embrace. But the opportunities were squandered. We didn’t get our loved ones back; we received them for eternal rest. And we also received a new family: the family of bereavement.”
The memory of Aryeh and Eli Ozan, who were murdered in a shelter at Zikim Beach
Another video was dedicated to the memory of the late Aryeh Ozan and his son, Eli Ozan, who were murdered in a public shelter (migunit) at Zikim Beach. Lihi Ozan, Eli’s daughter and Aryeh’s granddaughter, was 12 years old when she received the news, a week after October 7. For a moment, hearing they had found her father, she thought he had been found alive:
“They woke me up with the news. My older sister woke me up and said, ‘They found Dad.’ And I thought they had found Dad. But then I realized they had found Dad’s body, not Dad. And I was thrust right into it, boom, at 12 years old, and I didn't know anything about life,” she recounted.
Ron Ozan, Aryeh’s son and Eli’s brother, spoke about the twins he has, named after his father and brother. Alongside the new life, he spoke of the two men who are missing from it: “They aren’t here to see this.”
As Roni Dalumi and Tamir Grinberg performed the song “Regards from Another Life” on stage, hostage survivor Eli Sharabi, hosting the ceremony, addressed the family he lost. He read personal words he wrote to his late wife Lianne and daughters Noiya and Yahel, who were murdered in their home at Kibbutz Be'eri, and to his late brother Yossi Sharabi, who was killed after being abducted to Gaza.
Sharabi spoke of their presence in his life even inside the tunnels, on the day of his release, and now, as he stood on stage. Out of that longing, he spoke of the choice to keep living and remembering:
“My beloved ones, it feels strange to send regards to someone who is no longer with you, but in truth, you never left me for even a single second. You were there day after day with me inside the tunnels; you were with me on the day of my release, and you are with me right now. I promised you we would do everything so you would never be forgotten, and I stand here confident that you hear me. So know this: I do not forget.
Israel does not forget you. You are here every single day, every hour, and every moment. I love you, and I will never stop missing you. You give me the strength to keep living, by choice and out of the conviction that evil must never be allowed to win. I chose life because living means that I remember. Remembering every moment we shared together. Regards from another life.”
Sharabi brought the ceremony to a close with a call to action, imploring people "to remember what happened. To investigate what happened, not to cut corners. Not to let time blur the truth. Not to rewrite history, and not to let history repeat itself."
"Only if we truly remember can we learn," he continued. Sharabi went on to say the Israel "can build a safer, more worthy, better place here. That is our hope."