Next month, the Baltimore Jewish Council will host a community commemoration of Oct. 7 at The Associated’s Goldsmith Campus.
In partnership with the Baltimore Israel Coalition and Art with a Heart, the BJC is inviting the community to participate in the Oct. 7 event, which will also launch a new memorial garden project.
“We have been having conversations about what we thought would be appropriate for this year’s commemoration. What would honor the memory of those who were killed and reflect the journey that Israelis and American Jews have been on over these past three years?” said Kate McDonald, BJC director of Israel and Jewish advocacy.
The first commemoration in 2024 brought together both members of the community and elected officials, including Gov. Wes Moore, and federal representatives at Beth El Congregation in Pikesville for candlelightings and prayers.
In 2025, the BJC partnered with Run for Their Lives to host a communitywide march for the hostages still being held in Gaza, along with a short ceremony.
This year, with no hostages still being held, the nonprofit is inviting the community to create “a space of reflection.”
“After the tragedy and trauma of the past three years, it feels right to come together as a community to create something beautiful and meaningful,” said McDonald. “To take some time to reflect on that journey and think about the hope that we might have for the future.”
The commemoration will begin at 5 p.m. with an all-ages ceramic poppy-making workshop facilitated by Art with a Heart.
“The poppies are Israel’s national flower, so they hold a special place in the country’s cultural identity,” McDonald said. “Late winter, early spring, they blossom all across fields of the Western Negev and it’s turned into a yearly festival where Israelis go down and see the desert bloom … They transform the landscape into something really beautiful and full of life and renewal.”
The workshop will be followed by a ceremony, “Where the Poppies Bloom,” which will include a candlelighting, the recitation of Yizkor, sharing testimonies and music.
“Since Oct. 7, they’ve taken on an additional meaning,” McDonald added. “They evoke remembrance and resilience … It’s a symbol of hope that even after great devastation, life can bloom again.”
After the ceremony, another ceramic poppy-making workshop, best suited for adults, will be hosted by Art with a Heart at 7 p.m.
McDonald said that the BJC hopes to make about 300 ceramic poppies for the garden, including ones made by the Baltimore Jewish community and the Jewish community in Ashkelon, Baltimore’s partner city, to create a tangible connection between the two cities.
“The ceramic poppies have already been incorporated into memorials in Israel,” she said. “That strengthens our ties.”
The garden will live on The Associated’s Goldsmith Campus in Pikesville to create a space in the city where people can “take a deep breath and take a moment to reflect.”
“I think it’s really important for people to have a space of reflection,” McDonald said. “We recognize that Oct. 7 was a horrific moment in our history and on that, in many ways, we are still reeling from and that we will always carry with us. We also recognize that sadly, tragedies continue to befall our people … with rising acts of antisemitism.”
McDonald emphasized that the garden is not a one-day project and the commemoration ceremony is just the beginning of the project.
“This is the very start of what will be at least a yearlong process,” McDonald explained. “We really want to get as many people involved as possible to really create a sense of ownership and community spirit.”
mresnicow@midatlanticmedia.com
