The whole world commemorated on Monday the tragedy of October 7, 2023, in the Middle East. That day, a coordinated Hamas action caused 1,200 deaths. Hundreds of people were taken hostage and even today, around sixty of them are still in captivity. A distant drama for us, but commemorated yesterday evening by the Jewish community of New Caledonia, at the Nouméa synagogue.
The kaddish, the prayer to the dead and a tribute to the hostages still held by Hamas: last night, in New Caledonia as elsewhere, the Jewish community wanted to take the time to remember October 7, 2023. “It is the greatest tragedy since World War II, which befell the Jewish people, with more than 1,200 deaths at the hands of terrorists. It is a tragic event, which is an indelible wound for all Jews in the world.”, explains Philippe Mestman, president of the Jewish association of New Caledonia.
Also present at the Nouméa synagogue were representatives of the State and the New Caledonian government. An essential duty of memory, with particular resonance for Isabelle Champmoreau, vice-president of the government. “What happened on October 7 had a profound impact on people’s minds. One year later, we must not forget the victims or the hostages. No one should experience this situation. This is where we see the price of peace and whether we are in New Caledonia, or elsewhere, it is important to be united”.
A sign of communion between communities, the one who sounds the shofar is Protestant. It has been seventeen years since Charles Nemia took his flock to Israel. He was on site during the attack on October 7, 2023. “We got stuck. It was really very hard”, says the pastor.
As a sign of this solidarity between communities, Pastor Nemia and his faithful will participate in the construction of the Sukkot hut, one of the main Jewish holidays, celebrated next week.
