By Pera Onal and Tyler Quattrin
More than a dozen students gathered at the University of Maryland’s McKeldin Mall throughout Tuesday to honor hostages held by Hamas since its attack on Israel two years ago.
Students attended a memorial display held by several groups at this university, including Students Supporting Israel, Jewish Student Union and Maryland Hillel.
The event displayed a table with 48 empty chairs, each representing a person held hostage by Hamas. About 20 of the hostages are believed to still be alive, the Associated Press reported Monday.
Tuesday marked two years since Hamas killed more than 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages in an attack on Israel. It was the deadliest attack on Jewish people since the Holocaust, the Associated Press reported.
“We cannot fully heal until they are all here with us and safe in their homes,” freshman neuroscience major Gabby Shore said. “We still need to fight for them.”
Organizers at Tuesday’s event wore Maryland Hillel shirts that said “Never Forget 10.7.2023” and handed out “Remember Oct. 7” stickers. The anniversary coincided with Sukkot, a week-long Jewish holiday, and featured a pop-up sukkah for students to celebrate.
[UMD Jewish students reflect on 2-year anniversary of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel]
Shore told The Diamondback she attended the event to connect with the Jewish community and advocate for people who have been affected by the Oct. 7 attack. She felt reassured by the event’s turnout but emotional looking at the display of the hostages.
The Jewish Student Union also held a ceremony honoring the hostages Monday night.
Across McKeldin Mall, this university’s Students for Justice in Palestine chapter held a demonstration to honor people killed by Israel’s military offensive and show support for Gaza. The day after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, Israel declared war on Hamas and began a military offensive that has killed more than 67,000 people in Gaza since, according to the Associated Press.
University police and unarmed security officers monitored both events outside the metal fencing. University event staff checked bags and IDs and had people pass through metal detectors to enter the event area.
“Today’s expressive activities were planned in accordance with university policies and took place without incident,” this university wrote in a statement to The Diamondback. “UMPD and university officials met with event organizers to determine appropriate security measures, in consideration of the factors listed in our university policies.”
President of this university’s Students Supporting Israel chapter Uriel Appel said it’s important to honor those who died during the Oct. 7 attack and “give students a place to mourn.”
[UMD SGA passes boycott, divestment and sanctions resolution on Yom Kippur]
Appel, who was born and raised in Israel, said it’s been especially tough to see family members affected by the attack. The senior neuroscience major recalled being able to “smell the death” when he visited Israel this past August and viewed attack sites.
“I never thought as a college student I would ever need to see what a grenade blast looks like or need to see a door riddled with bullet holes,” Appel said.
Electrical engineering doctoral student Daniel Huber said the display was powerful and he felt moved seeing the university’s Jewish community come together.
“We are here because we want to just feel community,” he said. “In the time when there’s a lot of threats against us, we need to show one another that we’re not alone and that we’re supporting each other.”
