October 7th Vigil Speeches

On October 7th, many different Jewish Organizations at UCSB worked together to put on a beautiful vigil to honor those we lost to the October 7th massacre two years ago. Here are the speeches a few students gave for anyone who may have missed it or would like to read the beautiful work again.

LIEL ITACH

Dear friends,

Today we gather not just to mourn, but also celebrate the life of Liel Itach, a young man whose light and presence left a lasting impression on all those who met him. Liel was born in Jerusalem in 2001. He was the eldest child of Yonit and Yaakov, and a beloved brother to Yuval, Ariel, and Maor. From the very beginning, he exemplified what it meant to live life to the fullest. He was charismatic, beautiful, and always surrounded by friends. People were drawn to his radiant smile, his contagious laughter, and his natural ability to bring joy to others. Liel loved the things he had deeply, and never shied away from showing it to the world. He loved his family, who meant absolutely everything to him and who he never failed to show up for. He loved soccer, especially the team Beitar Jerusalem. In fact, he wouldn’t dare miss a single game no matter the weather or location and even went as far as to cut his North America trip short to see them play.

To this day, they still honor Liel at every game. He loved cars, adventures, sports, and traveling. He loved to work hard, to challenge himself, and to dream big. Whether during his service in the Air Force, working with his father, or saving for his next adventure, Liel approached everything with determination and passion. By his friends, he was described as the “unifier”. He showed up for them in every way he could- as the host, the joker, the advisor, or the loyal friend. Liel was generous with his heart and his time- always giving, and never asking for anything in return. Although he was constantly playful and full of joy, he also displayed a maturity that was far beyond his years. He knew the preciousness that one’s time on earth held, which is why he never failed to remind others to stop for a moment, to breathe, and appreciate everything around them. But on October 7th, 2023, Liel’s beautiful life was cut short. He was at the Nova music festival, dancing and celebrating with his friends, when the unthinkable happened.

Although he initially managed to escape, Liel decided to go back and help his friends who were left behind. Staying true to who he was, he came to the site to help in any way that he could, refusing to abandon others in their moment of need. His final moments truly characterized the type of person that Liel was: selfless, loyal, and guided by a love and understanding of life that few could comprehend. It was that love that drew him to go back to his friends, even when it meant putting his own life in danger. The brutality of his death cannot erase the radiance of his life. Liel will always be remembered- not for the way he died, but for the way that he lived his life so bright that the light of his neshama will never fade. May his memory forever inspire us to live like him. Thank you.

AMIR EYAL

I would like to tell you about my teammate, classmate, and friend, Amir Eyal. I met Amir in the fifth grade when my family moved to Haifa, and we played basketball together on the same team for several years. I remember him as one of those teammates everyone liked: hardworking, humble, and respectful. And every practice, when we’d finish with our free-throw contest, Amir almost always won. On the morning of October 7th, when thousands of Hamas terrorists marched into Israel through the kibbutzim and army bases, Amir was serving in the Field Intelligence Corps and was stationed at the Nahal Oz base. At 6:40 AM, Amir texted his family: “A world war just started here, hundreds of rockets, they are going through the fence, terrorists are attacking the base”. 6:59: “They have made it to the settlements.” 7:03: “There’s an actual war here, we’ll talk later.” And that was his last text. In the confusion and horror of that day, Amir did what he was trained for, and, I think, naturally driven to do: protect his base and his friends.

He was hit by a terrorist’s fire towards his station, but he did not give up. He killed the terrorist and pulled back into a shelter along with his friends from his unit. Together, they fought against dozens of Hamas terrorists and saved the lives of many. He was declared missing later that morning. After three days, his phone was found in Gaza, and the next day, his body was discovered near his base in Nir Oz. He was only 19 years old. A year later, His father, Shay, said: “I’ve daydreamed countless times about coming that night and saving you from that cursed morning. I keep wondering what I could have done to change that cruel fate, imagining myself showing up at six in the morning, surprising you at the start of your shift, convincing you to come with me for a coffee in Ashkelon, just a few kilometers from the base, at a safe distance from the Nukhba terrorists.

But then the daydream ends, and reality hits hard. Everything has changed. Nothing will ever be the same again, and your absence fills all our hearts, overflowing them with a painful, paralyzing emptiness”. Even though Amir and I have not kept in touch since I moved to America, when I think of him now, I think of those long practices, those free-throw contests, PE classes, and the good memories we captured together.

ברוך.

זכרו

יהי

Sivan Elkabets and Naor Hasidim

Sivan and Naor found each other at 16. From the moment they got together, they were inseparable and dreamed of starting a family. Sivan was the youngest sibling to her brothers Nadav and Guy and sister Noa. She grew up in Ashdod, excelled in science, and was always cheerful. She danced in the “Avivim” dance troupe and was a counselor at an art camp. Sivan enlisted in the army and served as a combat fitness instructor, there she left a mark of friendship, laughter, beauty and light– always with a smile on her face. Her good friend Ron, disappointed by his military assignment, first called Sivan. He says “She calmed me down in seconds. Sivan had an amazing ability to accept new people and make them feel good where they are. She was a girl with character, not a sucker. The king who knows how to demand what she deserves with her own kindness. She knew how to take everything lightly and knew exactly what to say and when. She was the kind of person you learn from without even noticing. ” After her service, she began studying computer science and worked as a security guard. She lived in the lively youth neighborhood of Kibbutz Kfar Aza– a couple of small homes filled with young adults, endless laughter and late nights, similar to IV.

Naor, second child to Galit and Avi Hasidim, was raised in Ashdod. From a young age he stood out as intelligent, witty, sensitive and goal oriented. His teacher Ora said “You were a boy full of joy and endless mischief - you loved to be the center of attention and pull a lot of pranks, but even in these moments you captivated me with your smile and your laughing eyes. I loved your youthful joy. You were sharp-witted and quick-witted, and you succeeded because you knew you had to. You stood on your own merits, and you did indeed succeed. " Naor loved his family, was a momma’s boy, and found light even in the worst situations. His sister said he would bring a trail of laughter and love everywhere he went. A medical condition made the army prefer not to draft him, but heinsisted anyway, and served as a security guard in Jaffa. He was playful, but serious and responsible, and very close to reaching his goal of buying his own home.

His younger sister Noa said: "You gave me the best example in the world. You taught me to be good to everyone, to accept everyone, to be caring and to make every person around me have a huge smile just like you would."

On October 7th, at age 23, Sivan and Naor were brutally murdered at home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza. In the morning hundreds of terrorists entered the kibbutz and massacred the residents in their homes. The youth community, usually loud from laughter, joy and young adults, fell silent. Sivan and Naor’s murder is the least interesting thing about them. Shimon, Sivan’s father said: “The terrorists murdered you, but not who you were for all of us. You cannot murder beauty and values. You cannot cut off kindness and true love. You cannot burn knowledge and wisdom. You cannot shoot and erase a smile and a hugging hand. The terrorists turned me into a bereaved father and us into a bereaved family, but we will always be Sivan’s father and mother. Sivan, Naor, take a walk along the Milky Way, among the stars, and breathe the air of the peaks. You deserve it. You deserve it.” I want you guys to carry Naor’s playfulness and Sivan’s light. When Sivan had her bat mitzah, she declared she wanted to add another commandment to the ten. The eleventh, she decided, would be to dance, to laugh, to sing, to love, to say thank you and not give up on dreams. And thats what I hope for all of you.

Kutz family

Let me tell you all about the Kutz family - Aviv and Livnat, and their three kids: Rotem, Yonatan, and Yiftach. They lived in Kibbutz Kfar Aza, near the Gaza border - a home they built with love, laughter, and a strong sense of purpose. Life there wasn’t always simple, but they believed in community, in staying rooted, and in doing good. Aviv was both a builder and a dreamer. He helped design homes and public spaces in the kibbutz and created the annual Kite Festival - an idea that brought people together and reminded everyone of hope and unity. Livnat was an artist who believed deeply in the power of creativity to heal. Livnat founded Beit Melacha, a place where kids and adults could work through pain by creating art. Through her work, many found comfort and strength. Their kids grew up surrounded by that same warmth. Rotem was caring and dedicated, a soldier who always thought about others. Yonatan was a talented basketball player, easygoing and kind. And Yiftach, the youngest, was curious and full of life. They reflected the love and values that defined their home.

On the morning of October 7, the day began quietly in Kfar Aza. But within moments, that calm was gone. Amid the chaos and terror, the Kutz family gathered in their safe room - the same space where they had spent so many ordinary moments together. When the fighting ended, they were found there, holding one another. That final embrace says everything about who they were - united, protective, and filled with love until the very end. Their family and friends remember them not with anger, but with deep respect.

One relative said, “They were pure light - five souls who believed in goodness, even in a place of fear.

”That belief continues through those who knew them. Friends and relatives have rebuilt the sports hall at Kfar Hayarok in the kids’ memory, and they created Wings of Hope, a project that helps others heal through creativity, continuing Livnat’s vision of art as a source of strength. And then there is Tamar - Aviv’s mother - who lost her entire family that day. Tamar lived with a grief that words cannot describe, and earlier this year, Tamar passed away. Those close to her said Tamar “suffered from a heartbreak that had no comfort. ” Her husband, Benny, now speaks quietly about the love they had for sixty years - and about the silence that remains. Today, we remember them: Aviv, Livnat, Rotem, Yonatan, Yiftach, and Tamar. May their memory be a blessing.

Maya Biton and Eliran Mizrahi

To start, I ask that you imagine your life, your story. What do you see? Marriage? Children? A Career? The dreams we wish to achieve, and the milestones we want to reach. Very rarely do we imagine the fragility of it all, and what we’d do in our final moments, if our story were to be cut short. Tonight, I share the life of a young couple, whose story reminds us to cherish life, and to spread light whenever possible.

Eliran Mizrahi was a man who focused on one thing: his fiancée Maya Biton. Originally high school sweethearts, Eliran was struck with a love one can only imagine. It was a bond so strong, a month after Maya went away in South America, he personally handed his resignation letter to his boss, quitting a six-figure job, to join her on her adventure. The couple lived in the moment. They loved to dance, to hike, and Eliran loved to serenade his wife to be.

The couple were known for two things: putting others before themselves and always bringing smiles to those around them. Friends and family would say they were an endless beam of light. And everyone agreed, they were soulmates. So when Eliran asked her father for her hand in marriage, he gave him advice he already knew:

“No returns, from that moment on, she is yours for life.”

Eliran didn’t hesitate. They got engaged in Santorini, with a wedding planned for the following year. A white dress, kids, and their entire lives lay out in front of them. And on October 7th, everything changed. Eliran and Maya were at the Nova Music Festival, a celebration of life and song, a mere 3 miles from the Gaza border. When the terror began, they took each otherby the hand and ran. There were people running, people falling, and people lying still. They searched for cover and found a garbage container nearby. They jumped in, and took to their phones to talk to their loved ones.

“Eliran, did you get home?”

“Did you get to a safe place??”

“We are in a trash container, in the midst of all the shooting.”

“Pray for us, please.”

“May God protect you.”

Eliran continued to communicate with his loved ones.

“Please pray for us.”

“We are praying my darling, keep us updated what is happening with you”

“There are bullets flying around us, we are still in the trash container.”

“Shema Yisrael”

“Just pray, please pray.”

His mother then texted him.

“Eliran don’t stand up, don’t move, are the police or soldiers there?”

“Eliran what do you hear?”

“Shooting, and people screaming in Arabic.”

“God is with you, read Tehillim. We won’t stop praying until you’re home”

“I love you the most in the whole world, I am waiting for you.”

Eliran replied,

“Love you lots.”

Those were the final words he gave his mother.

Maya, who was next to Eliran, was also messaging her loved ones.

“Maya?”

“How are you?”

“They are shooting at us. We can’t see.”

“Don’t move, don’t get up. We haven’t stopped praying."

“They are outside the trash container.”

“Who?”

“The terrorists.”

“Maya!”

No response.

“Maya!!”

Maya didn’t respond to any of the following messages. They were found days later, wrapped in each other’s arms. They thought of nothing else in their final moments but each other. They faced tragedy with their love, and never wavered. Eliran kept his promise, and he did so with everything he had.

“No returns, from that moment on she is yours for life.”

The light they spread while they were alive still burns bright through their family and friends. And I believe these incredible souls should not be remembered by how they left, but rather should be remembered by how they left the world. The young couple left the world a brighter place than they found it, serving as an example for us all. They lived beautiful lives, giving their hearts to those around them, and even now their deeds live on, thousands of miles away from Israel. And as we are all gathered here, if there was one thing I ask you to take away from this speech, it's the following.

Be kind.

Give everything you have in every moment of every day.

And share your light with the world.

For Eliran and Maya

CLOSING STATEMENT

I would like to thank you guys for gathering here today to honor the memories of those we lost. A special thanks to the support from Hillel, SSI and Chabad for helping put this together, and thank you to UCSB for allowing us to host this on campus. I would like to invite you to Chabad for dinner and processing of this day. Before we conclude, I hope with the weight of this day we were also able to provide some light and I hope you carry with you the lessons and the memories of the individuals we honored today. Thank you and may their memories be for a blessing.