On October 5, the week before the hostages returned from Gaza, the community joined together for an evening of remembrance, hope, and resilience. The program was presented by United Jewish Federation of Stamford, New Canaan, and Darien, along with partnering organizations, the Stamford Board of Rabbis, UJA/JCC of Greenwich, and AJC of Westchester and Fairfield Counties.

The commemoration included various intentional opportunities for participants to reflect, mourn, and find opportunities of hope. The evening also featured a musical performance by Micha Biton, an ethnic-rock Israeli music, singer, and song writer whose life changed on October 7, 2023. He spent 13 hours in a safe room with his family in Netiv Ha’asara, a Gaza border community. In the heroic evacuation of Micha and his family, he grabbed his beloved guitar. He shared his music while telling a story of light, faith and survival.