DALLAS — Monday night, hundreds gathered inside Congregation Shearith Israel in Dallas to commemorate the one-year mark of October 7 - the start of the devastating, deadly war between Israel and Hamas.
Several speakers attended, including Governor Greg Abbott.
"Texas stands with Israel!" the governor said to the crowd, which applauded in return.
"Those who were killed and those taken by Hamas must never be forgotten," Governor Abbott continued.
There were several moments of prayer in Hebrew and English and a video message from Former President George W. Bush.
"The American people and the American government must support the people of Israel," Former President Bush said.
Perhaps the most emotional moment of the ceremony was when Dallas resident LeElle Slifer spoke to the crowd. Her mother's cousin was killed on October 7.
"They all hid in different places of the house, the terrorists pulled them out one by one," LeElle cried, telling the audience about her family's horror that day.
"They took Kineret [my mother's cousin,] marched her into the street, executed her right in front of her home...she wasn’t even wearing shoes," she said.
Slifer's cousin, Carmel Gat, was taken hostage by Hamas that day too.
"She was exactly my age, only six months older than me, we had sleepovers together as kids," Slifer said.
Gat was killed in Gaza just weeks ago.
"We just buried her next to her mother," Slifer cried.
The event at Shearith Israel Temple ended with a message of hope.
"We are a strong community," Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas President Igor Alterman said. "We have been built for this. We have been built for this for generations."
But the ceremony also acknowledged how the deadly, devastating war still rages on one year later.
"May the hostages come back home," Livia Link-Raviv, Consul General for Israel to the Southwest said.
"May the healing process begin... and let us all say, amen."