Temple Beth Tikvah Honors Victims of Oct. 7 Attacks

he calanit, or red anemone, Israel’s national flower, blooms each winter, symbolizing life and resilience as it carpets the Southern landscape in brilliant red. This flower also inspires the annual Darom Adom (Red South) Festival, a celebration of nature’s beauty and perseverance.

In the wake of the tragic events of Oct. 7, 2023. and the war that followed, a group of parents from Temple Beth Tikvah Preschool approached Alexandria Rabbi Shuval-Weiner, seeking to mark their collective grief in a meaningful way. During a visit to Israel in January, Rabbi Shuval-Weiner learned about a global initiative by Israeli ceramic artists to create 100,000 clay calaniot in memory of the victims of Oct. 7.

Moved by the power of this project and responding to the Preschool families’ expressed need for action, the synagogue community took part in this effort. With guidance from Temple Beth Tikvah Preschool Director Linda Siegel and local artist Robin Singer, a garden of ceramic calaniot was crafted, each flower a handmade tribute to resilience. This garden is displayed in front of the synagogue, serving as a lasting visual testament to unity, remembrance, and strength in the face of loss.

Those who helped create the garden gathered outside Temple Beth Tikvah on the anniversary of Oct. 7 to light a yahrzeit candle and pay tribute to the victims.