Zikkaron: The Sacred Remembrance-Why Israel Must Remember October 7.

Then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial for ever.” Joshua 4:7

Today marks the second anniversary of the October 7 massacre in Israel perpetrated by the terrorist group Hamas, when 1200 men, women, and children were killed and their homes destroyed. The brutality included the abduction of 251 hostages who were taken to the Gaza Strip to be imprisoned, tortured, and raped. The hostages included men, women, children, elderly people, and soldiers. Still in captivity are 48 hostages, of whom approximately 20 remain alive. Our news cycle moves quickly. We go from one event, tragedy, or political conflict to the next, often in 24 hours. Today, we must stop to remember the horrific events of October 7th.

The Hebrew term zikkaron, derived from the root zakar, captures one of the most profound and lasting ideas in Israel’s spiritual language: remembrance. As Bible Hub notes, zikkaron appears throughout the Hebrew Scriptures to signify a memorial, record, or remembrance—a physical or ritual act that keeps memory alive before God and people. In Israel’s sacred history, remembrance is never just an act of yearning for the past. It is a covenantal act—connecting the past to the present and the present to the divine promise. Through zikkaron, the people of Israel transform the events of October 7 into the present, allowing them to say, “never again.”

The Scriptures employ zikkaron in various contexts, illustrating the richness of the idea: remembrance as a covenant, a ritual, a monument, a written record, and as a means of worship and warning. Each act of remembrance connects the past with the present.

Memory becomes a present reality. Through remembrance, Israel reminds itself of their identity as God’s Chosen people. The stones piled at the River Jordan, where the waters were cut off, and the people passed, are one such sacred memorial that keeps the memory of this miraculous event a present reality.

The opposite of zikkaron is not ignorance but forgetfulness—a deliberate detachment from the moral significance of history. Ecclesiastes laments: ‘There is no remembrance of former things’ (Ecclesiastes 1:11). When we lose our memory, our identity disintegrates. When we forget our history, we can end up forgetting God (Strong's Hebrew: 2146). Therefore, biblically speaking, every generation must renew its memory. Each zikkaron—whether the twelve stones of crossing the Jordan, the festival of Passover, or a scroll containing Sacred Scripture will serve to break the silence of time and serve the present and then future generations!

The command to remember isn't limited to ancient disasters or redemptions. October 7's events are not just a tragedy of grand scale but a moral turning point. Forgetting October 7 would betray the sacred chain of zikkaron that has upheld Israel from Egypt to today. Remembering October 7 is an act of loyalty—to the victims, to truth, to history, and to the Jewish people's covenantal identity.

To embody zikkaron in modern Israel, remembrance must take visible and lasting forms—such as rituals, education, art, and testimony. National memorials, monuments, educational programs, archives, and liturgical practices all fulfill the biblical obligation to remember. Through these acts, memory becomes both a religious and a cultural phenomenon.

In Scripture, remembrance is between both God and His people. When Israel remembers, God remembers too. The Psalms state, ‘He remembers His covenant forever’ (Psalm 105:8). God’s remembrance reminds His people of the Covenant. Therefore, the act of national remembrance—such as that of October 7—is a form of prayer, a call for divine intervention and mercy.

From the stones of the Jordan to May 14, 1948, Israel’s history is a continuous act of remembrance. To remember October 7 is to affirm that Israel’s memory will not be eradicated, its faith will not be mocked, and its hope will not be extinguished. In remembering, Israel honors that past, strengthens the present, and shapes the future, trusting that ‘the Lord will not forget His Chosen people.”