The October 7, 2023, massacre in Israel was remembered in Forest Hills on October 5. A Nova Music Festival survivor, an imam, and local politicians were among the speakers at a commemoration held at Commonpoint Queens.
Atir Vinnikov, a 25-year-old born in Israel, was drafted into the IDF in 2019 and served in the Givati Brigade. He spoke in English, having lived in America from age two to twelve and attended the Ramaz School.
Vinnikov was one of more than 3,500 people attending the two-day Nova Music Festival, held just 1.5 miles from the Gaza border. Hundreds of rockets began falling at 6:30 a.m. Three waves of approximately 1,500 terrorists invaded 71 points inside Israel. Only 30 police officers with handguns were on site to protect the festivalgoers.
Vinnikov and his friends tried to escape by hitchhiking rides in cars as concertgoers jammed the roads. Hamas set up checkpoints, killing those who fled. The car Vinnikov was in became stuck on Road 232 due to congestion, so he got out.
“Out of nowhere, this police officer comes running by, his chest filled with bullet wounds, blood pouring out of his mouth. He’s screaming at us to run east. Adrenaline kicks in.”
Vinnikov ran as bullets whizzed past him. He looked back and saw eight terrorists shooting people in their cars.
At 8 a.m., a second wave of terrorists infiltrated. “One hundred ten terrorists, armed head to toe, were on fourteen trucks with anti-aircraft guns,” he said. “They were supposed to go to Ofakim, but they missed their turn. Now 110 terrorists are riding toward sixteen police officers and thousands of partygoers like myself.” The police officers, he recalled, “were overwhelmed.”
After running for hours—five miles from the Nova site—Vinnikov became dehydrated. He and seven others reached a farm, where they were drinking water from a faucet when a 51-year-old Bedouin Muslim named Eunice approached. “What an incredible man,” said Vinnikov. “He gave us food and water.”
After an hour inside a building, “Eunice comes up to us, running in panic: ‘They’re here. Hide.’” Five armed Hamas terrorists on two motorcycles arrived. The eight Israelis hid beneath an elevated building, pressing their bodies into the ten-inch space between the ground and the floorboards.
“The terrorists were screaming, ‘Yahuds, Yahuds, Yahuds — bring out the Jews.’ And I hear Eunice saying, ‘He’s a Muslim. He’s a Bedouin.’”
“This humble Muslim man risked his life and the lives of his six children. He told them there were no Jews at the farm. He told them he’s an Arab, that he’s a veteran, that he’s a Muslim. He begged them to leave for fifteen minutes,” said Vinnikov. “And they did.”
The Nova Music Festival site endured the highest number of fatalities on October 7, with 378 murdered. Forty-four were kidnapped.
Assemblyman David Weprin spoke next. “What I find amazing is that after October 7 — the worst attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust — you’d think the world would be sympathetic to the Jewish fight, to Israel. But unfortunately, the opposite has happened. Anti-Semitism and anti-Israel sentiment have gotten larger and more pronounced. I almost don’t know what to say, other than that we have to stay united.”
City Councilwoman Lynn Schulman said she had visited the Nova site, nearby kibbutzim, and bereaved families a few months after the massacre. “That was just unbelievable,” she said. “It’s very emotional for me to be here because of what I witnessed when I was in Israel.” She recommended that people watch October 7: Bearing Witness to the Massacre on Amazon Prime.
Assemblymen Andrew Hevesi and Edward Braunstein attended but did not speak publicly.
Imam Muhammad Shahidullah spoke about participating in the March of the Living in Poland last year. “I learned the words, ‘Never Again.’ That’s why I stand with you.”
Imam Shahidullah, Chief Executive Officer of Save the People—an organization “dedicated to uplifting communities around the world by providing vital support in times of need,” according to its LinkedIn page—shared that he learned tolerance from his parents and community while growing up in Bangladesh, where Christians, Hindus, and different tribes celebrated holidays together. “That’s why I realize this is part of my faith,” he said.
Inside the Commonpoint Queens gym, an exhibit titled Humans of October 7th told the stories of ordinary Israelis through photos and words. One participant, Haim Jelin of Kibbutz Be’eri, explained why he continues to live there even after 134 were murdered and 33 kidnapped.
Jordana Hanono displayed her Judaica art, often featuring lions because they “are resilient.” Booths included “Boots for Israel,” supporting Israeli soldiers, and Jewish Voters Unite, encouraging voter turnout.
More than 75 attendees also had the opportunity to write messages on fabric squares for the global Healing Blanket Project. The completed quilt will be presented to Israel in 2026.
