Jewish communities around the world are commemorating the second anniversary of Oct. 7 invasion and brutal terror attack by the Hamas terrorist organization in southern Israel, in which 1,200 Israelis were killed and 251 people were kidnapped into Gaza.

In France, Australia, the United States, Canada, and South Africa, Jews have called for unity and the release of the 48 remaining hostages, even as they face rising levels of global antisemitism.

"We have two sides of the October 7 attacks, one side in Israel, and the other for the Diaspora," noted Yonathan Arfi, head of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France (CRIF).

"We don't want fear to win," he added, referring to the murder of two Jews at a Manchester synagogue by an Islamist extremist in the United Kingdom on Yom Kippur.

In Australia, Alex Ryvchin, Executive Co-Chief of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), reflected on the growing sense of insecurity among Jews amid rising levels of antisemitic incidents.

"Our community has suffered the sharpest decline in physical security of any Jewish community in the world. We are the only Jewish community to have our synagogues, businesses, and homes targeted by the murderous Iranian regime and organised crime," Ryvchin said.

He argued that the Australian government's hostility towards the Jewish state contributed to the growing hatred against Jews within the nation.

"There is a strong belief in the community that the federal government views the battle against antisemitism as a nuisance and privately blames Israel for creating this thankless and fraught political burden. There is a perception also that the government does not understand the connection between how it treats Israel and how Australians treat Jews. It's a totally wayward decision to recognise Palestine without at least conditioning this on Hamas's surrender and release of the hostages feels like a monumental betrayal. This has made this past year even more turbulent than the first," Ryvchin stated.

Australian Jews have traditionally embraced Zionism and identify strongly with Israel. Ryvchin believes that the local Jewish community has responded to the rising antisemitism with an increased level of Jewish pride.

"This creates a sense of siege, and it triggered a familiar survival response in our community, which is to turn inward to what is familiar and safe, which is why Jewish identification, pride, and participation have never been higher in this country," Ryvchin explained.

In the United States, the UJA-Federation of New York reflected on the past two years since the Oct. 7 massacre in 2023.

"It's nearly impossible to believe we're about to mark two years since October 7 forever changed Israel and reshaped the story of the Jewish people," the federation wrote on its website. "Together, we'll demonstrate our unwavering commitment to the people of Israel and a shared vision of a strong and vibrant future that is free from terror," the UJA said.

The UJA Federation in Toronto, Canada, emphasized the importance of the Jewish tradition of remembering the past.

"We will never forget what was done, and we will make sure no one else forgets either," the group vowed.

Referring to the Hamas surprise invasion and attack on southern Israeli Gaza border communities, the UJA wrote on its website: "October 7, 2023, was a day that forever changed the Jewish people. Life has not been the same since – yet in the face of devastating loss and hardship, we stand together."

"Together, we will honour the innocent lives lost, remember those still held in captivity, and acknowledge the enduring impact of the day."

In South Africa, the South African Zionist Federation (SAZF) has scheduled a musical tribute in Johannesburg to the October 7 victims, where former hostage Agam Berger is scheduled to play the violin.

"Two years later, 48 innocent hostages are still held captive in Gaza. Their absence is an open wound. A daily reminder that justice remains incomplete," stated SAZF National Chairman Craig Pantanowitz. "These men, women, and children have been denied their freedom, their dignity, and the embrace of their loved ones for far too long. We stand with their families, who live every moment in anguish, and we demand, with unwavering conviction, that the world do more to bring them home."

Pantanowitz continued: "As the South African Zionist Federation, we reaffirm our solidarity with Israel and with our global Jewish family. We will continue to raise our voices, to educate, to advocate, and to remind our broader society that this is not a political question. It is a moral one. No cause, no ideology, no grievance can ever justify the kidnapping and torment of innocents. To stand idly by in the face of such injustice is to allow humanity itself to be diminished."