BEACHWOOD, Ohio — The pictures out of Israel are still daunting. On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas militants killed some 1,200 people at a music festival and nearby communities.
"We got a message saying the terrorists had arrived," Rotem Sadeh, a survivor of the attacks, said Monday during a gathering outside the Jewish Federation of Cleveland marking a year since that tragic day. "This message was accompanied by screenshots from the building's front camera where terrorists could be seen breaking the glass."
Sadeh lived in Sderot, the closest community in Israel to the Gaza strip. She with her husband and two kids hid in a safe room as they heard gunfire and explosions outside her apartment, with militants going door to door.
"We lived on the first floor," Sadeh recounted, with tears in her eyes. "So we knew we were next in line."
Sadeh told the crowd of nearly 3,000 gathered in Beachwood that people were begging for help, but help did not arrive until the terrorists had already destroyed their homes. Somehow, they missed Sadeh's residence, but 250 people were taken hostage.
Days later, Israel would fire upon Gaza. The conflict continues a year later, as folks in Greater Cleveland and elsewhere pray for peace and the release of 97 remaining hostages.
Sadeh left Sderot, and doesn't know if she will ever go back. However, she is hopeful for one thing.
"I honestly believed it was possible to bridge any gap," she said. "That all humans want to live peacefully."
Sadeh still lives in Israel, but came to Northeast Ohio to share her story. She said she was honored to be in a community that supports her country.