Set up one month after the terror atrocities, the tribute has been vandalized 20 times.
On Sunday, Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis and Lady Mirvis visited the memorial in Brighton and Hove’s Palmeira Square dedicated to the 1,200 people murdered in Israel on October 7.
The Chief Rabbi expressed his admiration for the volunteers who created and maintain the memorial, which includes a nightly service dedicated to a different victim of the Hamas massacre.
He stated, “Let the world know and internalize this message, and be aware of the suffering of the Jewish people as victims on that horrific day. This explains our determination to do whatever we can to bring the hostages home.”
The memorial was established on November 7, a month after the attacks. Despite being vandalized 20 times since its inception, Jewish and non-Jewish volunteers have consistently rebuilt it.
Victims hailed from 33 countries, with more than a dozen from the UK. Local resident Adam Ma’anit, whose 18-year-old relative Ma’ayan Idan was killed on October 7, recounted her tragic story: “Ma’ayan had just turned 18. The balloons from her birthday party were still up in the house. When the terrorists entered, she tried to help her dad hold the door, but they shot her in the head. She died in his arms. Her father, Tsachi, was then dragged away by the terrorists, with his daughter’s blood still on his hands and clothes as he desperately tried to save her life.”
Lady Mirvis tied a yellow ribbon around a tree to symbolize the ongoing hope that the hostages will return home soon. This act is part of a Yellow Ribbon campaign to raise awareness about the hostages, including six with British connections.
The yellow ribbons, first tied last Sunday, were vandalized the next day with graffiti linked to a far-right website.
Adam Ma’anit added, “I can’t express how much this means to me and my family. I tell them about the many people who care about the hostages and the victims. You care. You keep the memory of the hostages and the victims alive.” Photo by Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Wikimedia commons.