We Set Up 1,205 Chairs at Columbia University for an Oct. 7 Memorial: One of Them Was for My Friend
People hold Israeli and American flags as they attend a commemoration for the victims of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, in Central Park in New York City on Oct. 7, 2025. Adam Gray/Getty Images
On Oct. 7, 2023, my life changed forever. My close friend and roommate, David Newman, borrowed my car to attend the Nova Music Festival in Israel. When I heard the chilling wail of sirens signaling Hamas rocket attacks, I knew something was wrong, but I couldn’t fathom the true scale of the horror.
