My mother's death on Oct. 7th shook me awake

Activist Vivian Silver dedicated her life to building a path to peace between Israelis and Palestinians. On Oct. 7, she was killed in the Hamas attacks.

Yonatan Zeigen told Blue Marble that his mother’s funeral was a gathering of Jews and Arabs who wanted to commemorate her and celebrate her life but “also come together and be hopeful with this notion that we want to continue in this path of peace.”

“Being a peace activist is not something to save you from being killed in war. It’s something to prevent a war from happening,” he said. “And to create reality where war is not an option.” He said his mother’s death made him understand that he “can't lead a life that is detached from trying to make change.”