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I remember very well where I was. I had landed in Mexico City to spend a week with my ten high school friends when we turned on our cell phones and learned about the tragic night of October 7 in Israel. We had hundreds of messages in WhatsApp groups, sharing details of the massacre, and we were all overcome with inexplicable anguish. Thousands of dead, hundreds of hostages, rapes of civilians of all ages and nationalities, even Argentines.
Today marks one year since that fateful event that changed the world and that, for the Jews of this generation, marked us forever. Before October 7, 2023, there was a fragile calm in the relationship between Israel and Gaza. Despite the tensions, thousands of Palestinians crossed into Israel daily to work, while others received medical treatment in Israeli hospitals. Therefore, very close to the border, young people felt safe and calm to gather at the Nova festival and celebrate peace and freedom.
The most terrifying thing about this attack was not the violence, but the way it was documented and displayed. Hamas terrorists not only killed, but filmed their glee at the suffering of their victims. Videos showing elderly people burned alive, babies murdered and women raped were distributed with the intention of instilling terror, in a calculated and chilling horror. That day, 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage. Today, there are still about 100 people captive and 33 have been declared dead by the Israeli army. The wound is still open.
As if that were not enough, on October 8 another attack began, perhaps the most unexpected and that generates the most disappointment and pain: the growing antisemitism. We thought that the Holocaust would be the last great misfortune for the Jewish community. In fact, our commitment since then has been to educate, remember and leave the legacy of the survivors so that no one forgets what happened, but always from a historical perspective. I never imagined that what my daughters studied at school would stop being history and become the present. The increase in anti-Semitism at a global level, even from spaces that we considered allies for sharing values such as the defense of human rights, inclusion, respect and diversity, has left us perplexed.
However, in the midst of so much tragedy, I have also seen something beautiful: the decision to act, the desire to rebuild and move forward. Days after the attack, together with a group of colleagues, we founded Jae3an organization that fights anti-Semitism in companies and organizations. Our objective is clear: no form of discrimination is acceptable, and companies, which are micro-societies, can and must be agents of change. At Jae3 we carried out a survey in the country, and some data has been conclusive: 8 out of 10 respondents indicated that there was an increase in anti-Semitic attitudes after the October attack. 44% of Jews have experienced or witnessed situations of anti-Semitic hatred in the workplace, and 33% feel they must hide their Jewish identity out of discomfort. There is a lot to work on.
I am deeply moved that since the creation of Jae3, many non-Jews have come forward to support our cause. That, in the midst of so much pain, is a sign of hope. Solidarity, when it seems most scarce, emerges with incredible strength, reminding us that, even in the darkest moments, good can find its way. Today, we have close to 1000 members working for this cause and we have helped similar organizations develop in other Latin American countries. Empathy, inclusion and respect are the values that we have been working on in each meeting with business leaders and professional associations. It’s as simple and as complex as that.
This week, in Buenos Aires, the exhibition opens Novaan exhibition that recreates the horror experienced at that festival when the music stopped playing. It is a strong experience, but necessary. This is not an exhibition of the past, like the Holocaust Museum, where we remember so as not to repeat. Nova is the present. It is a reminder that this is happening now, that the pain is still present and that we, as a society, cannot be indifferent. The survivors, many of them young people who saw the worst of humanity, will be here to bear witness. Let’s not waste this opportunity to listen, to see, to connect.
History has shown that, although human beings remember, they often repeat. Although he elaborates on his traumas, he seems to have a drive for destruction that we cannot ignore. But we have also learned the power of resilience. Today, more than ever, we must be part of the chain of “never again.” Let’s talk about this, let’s remember, but above all, let’s act. Indifference has never been nor will be an option, it is up to us to turn horror into hope.
Conforms to the criteria ofType of work: analysis
Interpretation of news based on evidence, including possible data and projections based on past events.
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