Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - "It was a very dark day for the Jewish people. For Israelis, it was the worst atrocity to befall the Jewish people since the Holocaust."
Rob Goldberg, Senior Advisor of the Buffalo Jewish Federation, joined WBEN on Monday and recounted a year of pain and fear that the Jewish community has been enduring.
"It's important for the Jewish people to come together to remember those whose lives were taken on Oct. 7 and to recount the heroism of those who survived and to remember that this is a battle for freedom," he said.
Militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted another 250. Around 100 hostages have not been returned, a third of whom are believed to be dead.
Hamas started the war. Israel is now fighting a war on multiple fronts, intensifying attacks in Gaza and in Lebanon. Also, the region is bracing for a possible Israeli strike on Iran.
While the Jewish community is coming together on this grim anniversary, new numbers from the FBI show an increase in antisemitism in the U.S. in the past year.
Antisemitism in the U.S. has reached unprecedented levels with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reporting a 63% increase in antisemitic incidents in 2023. The total number of incidents, 1,832, marks the highest ever recorded in U.S. history, reflecting the escalation of hostility toward Jewish individuals and communities.
"This dramatic rise in Jew hate, in Anti-Zionism, is so deeply troubling to the Jewish community," said Goldberg. "We are afraid in a way that we have not felt for decades."
He said about 30 members of the community gathered Sunday at the Holocaust Memorial at Pine Ridge. "We had two armed police officers guarding us, so we could worship for 30 minutes. It is crazy to think that we needed that. But it's something that we have accepted to keep our community safe."
Goldberg said he is grateful for the relationships they have with law enforcement at every level, particularly with the Amherst Police and Buffalo Police Departments.