The University of Wisconsin Hillel hosted a vigil on Library Mall Monday evening for members of the Jewish community to mourn the lives lost during the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel one year ago and to commemorate the hostages still in captivity, according to Hillel’s Instagram account.
Around 600 people attended the vigil, where organizers, including members of UW Hillel, spoke about the attacks, the Jewish community on campus and their hopes for the future.
UW Chabad Event Coordinator Maya Stagman was among the speakers and recounted her experience on the day of the attacks.
Stagman, whose grandmother was in Israel during the attacks, detailed the fear she felt the entire day waiting for “proof of life,” she said.
“My nightmare became a reality,” Stagman said.
Stagman said despite the pain the Jewish community carries from that day, what’s more powerful is their love and sense of community.
The vigil continued with singing and remarks from other community members and a rabbi.
One of the speakers and an intern on the Israeli Leadership Council at UW Hillel, Erika Klein, said she didn’t initially realize how many people attended the vigil.
“As soon as I got up to the podium and looked up [I was] teary-eyed, completely,” Klein said. “It was so amazing to see how many people came out.”
After the event, Stagman said she didn’t know the Jewish community on campus was quite as big as what she saw during the vigil and that she felt lucky to see all the love and support around her.
Klein and Stagman both expressed their hopes for a more positive future for the Jewish community and that the hostages would be freed.
“I think it’s important that we shut out all the negative energy around us and take in all the happiness that our community has, and just be hopeful that the next time we gather, we’ll be singing and dancing and celebrating the return of our hostages and the strength of our people, rather than mourning and praying,” Klein said.
