Vigils across Canada mark the first anniversary of the October 7 attacks

Thousands of mourners gathered outside a heavily secured Jewish community complex in north Toronto on Monday for a vigil commemorating the anniversary of the deadly Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

Against a backdrop of police vehicles and roaring helicopters, Jewish Canadians, including families of hostages in Gaza, wept, sang and huddled under Israeli flags and in the dim glow of candlelight as they remembered those killed and missing.

“Tonight we all share the same broken heart,” said Jeff Rosenthal, chair of the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto and host of Monday’s event, in his opening remarks at dusk. “As Jews, we are all too familiar with loss and destruction.”

About 1,200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage when Hamas militants stormed Israeli communities on the Gaza border in the early hours of October 7, 2023. About 100 of those abducted are still missing.

According to the Gaza Health Ministry, Israel subsequently invaded the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, resulting in the deaths of more than 41,000 Palestinians. The events also sparked a regional conflict between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah, as well as Iran and other allies.

The vigil in Toronto follows dozens of commemorative events across the country this week, with police stepping up protection in Canada's largest cities, particularly near Jewish and Muslim places of worship and at events marking the anniversary.

Mourners at the Toronto event went through several security checks before making their way to a stage where Hebrew prayers, victim impact statements and speeches from local politicians were punctuated by the whir of police helicopters and drones.

Cousins ​​Lisa Urback and Sharon Chodirker were among the mourners draped in Israeli flags and holding signs for those killed or abducted on Oct. 7.

“It was really difficult today. It still feels like October 7, 2023,” Ms. Urback said.

As she looked up at the whirling helicopters in the sky, she said everything had changed since that day.

“We are protected when we shouldn’t need protection. This is our country. I’m 56 years old and I’ve never experienced having to have this protection,” Ms. Urback said. “Before October 7, 2023, I didn’t realize how much I took security for granted – I wouldn’t think twice about going anywhere or telling people I was Jewish, and now that security no longer exists.”

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Others felt comforted to see the police presence. “It's a shame we have to have so much security, but it actually helps me feel safe,” Shawna Meyer said, pointing to a building where police snipers could be seen. “I don’t feel safe in a lot of places and I feel safe here.”

At a vigil on Parliament Hill on Sunday, speakers called attention to rising anti-Semitism in Canada, and federal politicians were booed and met with chants of “Do something.” At the same event, Calgary Heritage MP Shuvaloy Majumdar received applause as he expressed his Conservative Party's support for the State of Israel's right to defend itself against Hamas and Hezbollah.

There was silence in Parliament on Monday as Liberal and Conservative MPs stood individually to remember the victims of Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7 last year. Just over an hour later, silence returned with a minute's silence and all parties agreeing to condemn the attacks.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau commemorated the somber anniversary in a written statement and said his thoughts were with all Israelis and Jews, as well as the Jewish community in Canada.

Mr. Trudeau condemned Hamas, which Canada recognizes as a terrorist group, and said his government remained committed to working toward a two-state solution “where Israelis and Palestinians can live safely within internationally recognized borders.”

“Hamas has led the region down a path of war and violence. We mourn the Canadians and all civilians killed in the following year. We condemn Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran, whose senseless attacks result in more death and instability,” he wrote.

“The level of civilian casualties since October 7 is heartbreaking and unacceptable, and all actors must comply with international law.”

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre said hostages must be released and condemned what he called “grotesque” anti-Semitism in Canada. “We stand uncompromisingly with Israel,” he wrote in his own statement.

Some families of the Oct. 7 victims launched legal action Monday over the attack. The families filed a lawsuit in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice seeking $250 million in damages under Canada's Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act and an additional $100 million.

With reporting by Stephanie Levitz and The Canadian Press