At Oct. 7 Memorial Ceremonies Across Israel, Searing Grief And Political Tensions Are On Full Display

(JTA) At the site of the Nova festival near the Gaza border, the families of some 360 people murdered there gathered in the early morning light to mark the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 massacre. Part of the last track played that day — a song, ironically, lasting 6:29, reflecting the exact minute Hamas began its attack — echoed through the air, the pulsating psychedelic trance beats incongruous with the pall that hung over the gathering. A minute of silence was observed in honor of the victims, but unlike on Israel’s other memorial days, it wasn’t signaled by a siren.