Pure terror struck the State of Israel on Oct. 7. The Nova music festival started as hundreds gathered to celebrate peace and love through dance and song. The festival quickly into a living nightmare where hundreds of innocent people were violently raped, massacred, and taken hostage.

Along with the sheer terror of Oct. 7 echoing still a year later, the Jewish community is also grappling with the terror of an ongoing and devastating war. A few questions plague the Jewish community as of late: amidst all the terror we’ve experienced for the past year, are we able to find solace in mourning and remembering?  If so, how?

Across the world, many found solace on Oct. 7 through memorial services. The JUF was among many Jewish organizations that provided Jewish people with a safe space to mourn. Jews attended this service both in person and virtually. Temple Beth Israel (TBI), a congregation in Skokie, hosted an event for their temple congregants to attend the JUF’s event virtually, from the congregation. Since Oct. 7, synagogues have been safe havens to mourn and remember as well as learn and reflect.

“One of the hard things was trying to talk about it with my kindergartners. It was very hard to explain to a literal child what was going on,” junior and member of TBI Marcus Gahm said. “I was trying to explain that we are under attack, but you are still safe here, and that you have this community here and we’re here for you.”

If there’s one thing the Jews know how to do best, it is remember. This means remembering to check food labels and making sure food is kosher. It means remembering the prayers the Jewish people recite, passed down through thousands of years. It means remembering the Holocaust and promising and challenging the world to never forget. Today, it means remembering Oct. 7, and praying for a future without terror and violence.