Nigerian Jews Organize October 7th Anniversary Prayer to Mourn the Dead and Pray for Peace
The date October 7 has sadly etched itself into the history of Jewish people as a day that will always be remembered with sadness and pain. It was a day when the whole people of Israel and their friends around the world woke up to an attack that was never thought to be possible. An attack that led to the loss of over 1200 lives in the hands of Hamas terrorists, with 251 people, children and women inclusive, taken hostage; many are still captive up till today.
On the day before the final day of the 2023 High Holidays, known as Shemini Atzeret, which also happened to be a Shabbat day, hundreds of Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel and unleashed terror on civilians. One year has passed since the incident, which drew condemnation from leaders around the world, but the sorrow it brought to Israel, innocent Palestinian families, and families of foreigners still lingers.
As a mark of remembrance for the dead and those still in Hamas captivity, Jews around the world have chosen to mark the one-year anniversary of the terror attack with prayers. In Nigeria, a non-profit organization called Initiative for Progressive Judaism Development (IPJD) ensured that Nigerian Jews in Abuja gathered to pray for Israel and the world, asking God to have mercy on Israel, give victory to his chosen people Israel, as they defend themselves against their enemies, and also restore peace in the land of Israel.
The prayer, which took place at Gihon Hebrew Synagogue Abuja, attracted members who came from far and near to participate in the prayer. During the prayer, Engr. Yatov Abido, who is the Executive Director of the IPJD in Nigeria, stated that the reason for organizing the prayer is to join the rest of Jews around the world to pray for the land of Israel.
“We are organizing this prayer with heavy hearts, and the reason is to remember the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel. Many people were killed, and many were taken hostage. You know, as a nation, Israel is mourning, and as a people, we are in pain because of lives that were lost on that day. So we are praying not just to console families of those who lost their lives and those whose loved ones are still in captivity; we are praying to console ourselves too because we are one family, and when something like this happens, it happens to every Jew. So that’s why we are organizing this prayer.”
He expressed his gratitude to those who came for the prayer, especially members of Gihon Hebrew Synagogue. And most importantly, also thanking Rabbi Uzzan for his motivation towards organizing of this event.
Also speaking after the prayer, one of the elders who participated in the prayer, Emmanuel Abor, thanked the organizers and prayed that God will give victory to His people Israel and also give peace to his Holy Land. He detailed how the news of the terror attack spoiled their day on that faithful day of October 7, which happened to be a Shabbat day and the last day of Succot.
“I am happy that we are here to remember the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack. I still remember how the news of the attack came to us on that faithful morning. We were holding morning Shakarit prayer when the news filtered in. Our mood immediately changed from joy to sadness and apprehension. Those in the synagogue fell into a mourning mood even though it didn’t stop the daily prayer. Despite being sure that God will give us victory, I was burning with anger and was wishing I was in the Land of Israel so I could join the fight against Hamas. It was very painful to me personally, and I know that’s how every Jew here felt that day.”
He continued in a cheerful way.
“However, we thank Hashem for preserving Israel. My prayer is that He will give us speedy victory and peace. Also, I want to thank the organizers of this prayer. It is such a wonderful thing that they made it possible for us to join the rest of Jews in observing this anniversary prayer.”
The prayer also attracted Armand, a Jewish journalist from Belgium who is touring Nigeria with the aim of gathering information about Nigerian Jews and most especially the Igbos, who are believed to be one of the lost tribes of Biblical Israel.
The program witnessed a prayer session that was led by the duo of Shlomo Ben Yaacov and Kadmiel Ben Emmanuel. Prayers were offered to mourn the dead, prayers for the State of Israel, and prayers were also offered for the members of Israel’s IDF.
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