Madison's Jewish community remembers victims one year after initial Hamas attack on Israel

MADISON, Wis. -- It's been 365 days of intense conflict in the Middle East. Last Oct. 7, terrorist group Hamas attacked Israel.

The overseas conflict may be across the globe, but for many students at UW-Madison, the loss of family members and loved ones has been at the center of their world.

"We are a small people with a lot of interaction between here and the state of Israel. So we have many, many people who have a personal relationship or who have lost loved ones," said Greg Steinberger.

Steinberger is the president and CEO of Hillel, the Jewish student organization at UW-Madison. He's been working with Jewish students at the university for 25 years.

"Over the last 365 days, this has been the hardest time to support Jewish students," he said.

Surrounded by photos of people who were taken hostage in last fall's attack and a growing tally of days passed in the war, Steinberger says students continue to feel the effects of the conflict right here on campus.

"I got calls last night from folks who say 'I'm having trouble sleeping. I have such anxiety. I'm worried about what tomorrow brings,'" said Steinberger.

According to the Anti-Defamation League, there have been more than 10,000 anti-Semitic incidents since Oct. 7 of last year, the highest number the league has reported since they first started collecting data in 1979.

"I think supporting students for us today means also helping them deal with domestic issues of anti-Semitism," said Steinberger.

Hillel has been providing therapists and group sessions for students, but Steinberger says with a diverse student group at UW, everyone could use the support.

"We hope this year will be a better year than the last year."

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