Marist Hillel Hosts Candlelight Vigil to Honor Victims of Hamas Attack on Israel

Students gathered in front of the rotunda on Tuesday night to honor the lives lost in Israel. Credit: Sasha Tuddenham ‘24

On Oct. 10, Marist College Hillel, the on-campus Jewish organization, hosted a candlelight vigil and prayer reading on the campus green to honor the lives lost in Israel following the Hamas attack earlier this week. 

“This was something we felt we needed to do,” Hillel Co-Vice President Sarah Rocco ’26 said. “We wanted to show that despite going to a school with a small Jewish community, we’re here as a support system.”

On Oct. 7, Hamas launched rockets and missiles from Gaza into Israel at 6:30 a.m. The rockets distracted the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) from the ground invasion through which they took 150 Israeli Hostages. Israel has since retaliated and is working to find the hostages. In only four days, the death toll exceeded 1,200. 

When the fighting broke out, students like Rocco became anxious about the well-being of their friends and family in Israel. “I have a lot of friends there who are active soldiers right now who are being deployed to places in the south of Israel, and it’s really scary being so far away,” said Rocco. “I’m just sitting on WhatsApp refreshing and hoping to hear from my friends to make sure they are okay; I kind of feel helpless.” 

The Hillel Board recited a prayer during the candlelight vigil. Credit: Sasha Tuddenham ‘24

Hillel PR Chair Marissa Hebert ’24 was on the phone with one of her friends living in Israel when the Red Alert siren went off, a sound that warns of missile fire and to seek shelter. Bomb shelters are required in all homes in Israel for emergency situations like this. Hebert heard a bang, and her friend said she had to go.

“They’re scared because they have never seen anything like this,” Hebert said. “In some sense, yes, there are continuous conflicts, but not to this extent.”

Both Rocco and Hebert are heartbroken about the escalating conflict, and they wanted to make sure anyone with connections to Israel or who had been watching the news did not feel alone. At the candlelight vigil, a row of battery-operated candles graced the wall in front of the rotunda as dozens of students formed a circle around the Hillel board to listen to speeches, songs and prayers guided by the Hillel board. Students were given a QR code to follow along with the songs and prayers. The vigil began with a speech from the Hillel president, Marin Rosman ’26. 

“Tonight is not about the conflicting opinions on politics in Israel, but focusing on the human aspect and the innocent lives lost,” said Rosman in her speech. She then asked for a moment of silence. The vigil continued with the Prayer for Israel and the Mourner’s Kaddish, a prayer spoken in honor of those who have passed, and sang a few songs. The event ended with an open forum inviting everyone to stay and discuss their anxieties. 

The Hillel club has sent out emails and has posted on their Instagram about mental health resources available to students and organizations looking for donations. Some organizations include the Israel Trauma and Resiliency Center, the One Heart Organization and the Israel Under Fire Campaign. Such messages also asked that, despite the region’s animosity, to respect those with friends and family in conflict areas. 

“I think it’s important to inform yourself rather than picking a side because, in reality, people are dying, and people’s lives are at risk,” said Rocco.