More than 300 people gathered at Compo Beach on perfect fall Sunday to mark one year since the brutal Hamas attack on Israel, to rally in support of those who were kidnapped and who remain captive in Gaza.
Photos By J.C. Martin. Story by Lynn Rabinovici Park For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.

Three local Westport moms came together, for the second time, to organize a meaningful community gathering to support the hostages, Israel, and the Jewish community as they marked the one year anniversary of the barbaric October 7th Hamas terror attack in Israel. 365 days later, 101 hostages, dead and alive, still remain captive in Gaza.

Lynn Rabinovici Park, who had a vision for a concert by the sea, had the goal alongside Inda Sade and Sharon Suchotliff to bring the community together to stand in solidarity with the hostages, call for unity, and to change the year long call from "Bring Them Home Now" to "Release the Hostages Now."

Eleven year old Chloe Robbin of Westport sings with accompaniment by Liang-Fang Chang, the Director of Music Ministry at Saugatuck Congregational Church.

The beach was lined with 101 chairs, gathered by the community, each with a kidnapped poster and a blue or white balloon attached. A strong visual for how much 101 is. Front and center were two orange balloons, 2 tiny chairs and a kid's table with toys and books on it. A batman costume draped on Ariel's chair. A heartbreaking set up for Ariel (5 years old) and Kfir Bibas (1 year old), the beautiful red headed children, who were brutally kidnapped with their parents from their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz. The family remains in Gaza with no information as to their whereabouts or wellbeing.

Above left photo: The audience listens as Temple Israel's Cantors Julia Cadrain and Becky Mann, with guitar soothed broken hearts with songs such as "Shalom Alecheim," Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah", Matisiyahu's "One Day" and an Israeli classic "Yerushalayim shel Zhav." Center photo: Organizers of the event (L. to R.) Sharon Suchotliff, Inda Sade and Lynn Rabinovici Park console each other as they listen to the Cantors from the Westport’s Temple Israel.

Top row: The audience listens intently as co-organizer Inda Sade, fighting back tears, speaks about her cousin, Ronen Daichman who was murdered by Hamas terrorists along with 379 other innocents at the Nova music festival in the Re’im forest of Southern Israel. Ronen was 49 years old, a husband and father of two children. She is comforted by Mrs. Rabinovici Park. Bottom left: Ronnie Mandler, father of one of the organizers stands with Second Selectwoman Andrea Moore (center) and First Selectwoman Jen Tooker. The second photo shows State Representative Jonathan Steinberg of the 136th Assembly District of Westport.

Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.

Rabbi Josh Ratner of Temple Or Hadash of Fairfield offered a prayer for the hostages and Rabbi Jeremy Wiederhorn of Temple Israel offered a blessing for the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces). Idan Chen, cousin to former hostage Sapir Cohen, shared his personal feelings and experience. The town heard a musical performance from 11 year old, Chloe Robbin, accompanied by Liang Fang-Chang, the Director of Music Ministry at Saugatuck Congregational Church on the keyboard. Jennifer Tooker, Westport's First Selectwoman offered words of support and comfort for the Jewish Community. Selectwoman Tooker told WestportLocalPress “we were proud to stand with our community in support of bringing the hostages home safely.” Ms. Chang-Fang added, “Saugatuck Congregational is proud to support our Jewish siblings and hopes the 101 hostages will be home as soon as possible.”

Israeli flag and "Release The Hostages Now" lawn signs were available for all to take with them as well as End Jew Hatred T-shirts. Waters were donated by Fresh market, bagels and coffee from Starbucks, balloons from Party Hardy, and pastries from local favorite Coffee Ann. The event ended with a community singing of Israel's National Anthem, "Ha Tikvah" (The Hope) and "Am Yisrael Chai." At the conclusion of the event, many people remained at the beach enjoying the beautiful weather and discussing the gravity and heartbreak of one year since October 7th.

Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.