Philadelphia Jewish, Palestinian organizations partner for days of action to honor victims of Oct. 7 Hamas attack
The Philadelphia region remembered the victims of Hamas' horrific terror attack in Israel one year later on Monday.
The conflict in the Middle East over the past year between Hamas and Israel has unexpectedly led to presumed enemies rooted in differences of faith becoming unlikely allies.
In Jewish tradition, Yahrzeit marks the anniversary of a death. A ceremony at Fairmount Water Works commemorated a year of mourning since the deadly Oct. 7 Hamas attack in Israel. But, this Yahrzeit was untraditional given the presence of Palestinians alongside Jews.
"We needed to recognize the tragedies of October 7th. We need to stand with our Jewish cousins and say to them, 'This is wrong.' Just like they stand with us when we talk about the 41,000 that were killed that is also wrong," Sam Kuttab, of the Philadelphia Palestinian Americans, said.
Contrary to popular belief, mutual sympathy is possible.
"We understand their pain and they understand our pain," Kuttab said.
"We're mourning together," Sukey Blanc, of If Not Now Philly, said. "We all have the moral responsibility to take responsibility for every other person. Every life has value."
Shortly after the war started, Kuttab, a Palestinian American, and Blanc, an Israeli American, met as opposing protesters at a rally. But by the end of the night, they came to the table — literally — at a diner and found common ground after airing their grievances.
"You look your enemy in the face and try to figure out how to make sense of it," Kuttab said.
"What I learned then is that I thought I understood some things but I didn't," Blanc said. "They were not calling for the obliteration of the Jewish people."
Respective Jewish and Palestinian organizations, including If Not Now Philly and Prayers for Peace Alliance, have partnered for three days of action with a solidarity walk on Sunday, Monday night's vigil and a peace rally at City Hall on Tuesday.
"When we move into that space, we get over fear and prejudice," Blanc said.