It was unveiled earlier in November during an event attended by several local, state, and national elected officials, including Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and more than 200 community members, civic leaders, and faith representatives.By Shiryn Ghermezian, The AlgemeinerA Jewish cemetery in Texas recently unveiled the first permanent memorial in North America commemorating the deadly Hamas-led terrorist attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.The 12-foot-tall Star of David sculpture at Shalom Baruch—located in the Houston-area city of Humble—honors the victims, survivors, and hostages of the Oct. 7 massacre.It was conceptualized and designed by an art committee that included Anat Ronen, Kirsten Coco, and Jonathan Dror.“The Star of David emerging from the ground stands as a symbol of resilience, identity, and collective memory,” said Coco.“It honors those we lost, affirms the strength of Israel and reflects a commitment to rise above hate, together.”A companion ribbon-shaped sculpture nearby, created by Israeli artist Yaron Bob, was made out of shrapnel recovered from missiles that were fired at Israel from Iran and intercepted by the Jewish state’s Iron Dome system.Yaron Bob’s sculpture made from shrapnel. Photo: Chuck ThompsonThe sculpture symbolizes transformation and hope, according to a description on the cemetery’s website.Bob is well known for creating a similar piece that US President Donald Trump gifted to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this summer and a menorah for President Barack Obama in 2014.Shalom Baruch was founded in 2023 by Israeli-American Varda Fields in honor of her father.Guests who attended the memorial’s unveiling ceremony were encouraged to leave notes in the cemetery’s Western Wall replica and promised that their notes would be delivered to the real wall in Jerusalem when Fields travels to Israel next.Memorial stones, made by adult artists living with intellectual and developmental disabilities through Alexander Jewish Family Services’ Celebration Company program, were given to attendees to place at the memorial’s base, in line with the Jewish tradition of placing stones on the grave of a loved one.The Oct. 7 memorial sculpture is available for viewing to the general public during the cemetery’s regular hours, Monday through Friday.It was unveiled earlier in November during an event attended by several local, state, and national elected officials, including Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and more than 200 community members, civic leaders, and faith representatives.“Jewish Houstonians and our many allies showed up for us today,” said Fields.“I can only hope that they continue to speak up against antisemitism, support the Jewish people, and even encourage others around the country and the world to build their own memorials so that we never forget what happened on Oct. 7 and every day thereafter.”“This monument … serves as a powerful symbol of resilience, identity, and the unbreakable spirit of the Jewish people,” US Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX), who attended the unveiling ceremony, said in a statement on social media.“It stands as a reminder that even in the face of unimaginable hate and terror, we rise, together with strength, faith, and a commitment to ensure the world never forgets. May this memorial inspire unity, remembrance, and a continued stand against antisemitism, here at home and across the globe.”Speakers at the unveiling ceremony, co-sponsored by the Holocaust Museum Houston, included former Hamas hostage Omer Shem Tov, who was abducted from the Nova music festival on Oct. 7, 2023, by Hamas-led terrorists and held captive in the Gaza Strip for 505 days.Shem Tov was released from captivity on Feb. 22 as part of a ceasefire deal.He spoke at the ceremony about the hostages and the soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces who were killed protecting Israel since the Oct. 7 attack.The Shalom Baruch cemetery honored him with its inaugural “The Lone Star of Israel Award,” which it will present annually.The post Texas cemetery unveils first North American permanent memorial dedicated to Oct. 7 Hamas attack appeared first on World Israel News.