Three years later, I still think about the stories we did not tell on October 7- comment

Jerusalem Post editor-in-chief Zvika Klein reflects on the third anniversary of the October 7 attack, apologizing to families whose loved ones' stories the newspaper could not publish. He describes the overwhelming volume of casualty lists, the difficulty of covering a war while memorializing individuals, and the choice of 17-year-old Naama's testimony—written with eyeliner on a prescription pad—for the cover. Klein urges support for Edut 710's testimony archive and emphasizes the ongoing responsibility to preserve accurate accounts.

Jerusalem Post editor-in-chief Zvika Klein reflects on the third anniversary of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, writing a personal column about the stories the newspaper could not tell. He apologizes to families who sent photographs, names, and stories of loved ones killed or kidnapped, some of whom never received a reply. Klein describes the overwhelming volume of casualty lists—hundreds, then more than a thousand—while the paper simultaneously covered the ensuing war and explained events to international readers. He recalls the community of Kibbutz Nir Oz, where 65 members were murdered or taken captive, and mentions the Kedem-Siman Tov family, including Yonatan, known as Johnny, who made sure the field was watered before a kite festival. The column centers on the choice of 17-year-old Naama's testimony for the cover: she wrote a message to herself on her grandfather's prescription pad using eyeliner, thinking she might die. Klein explains that the ordinary detail of a prescription made the story universally relatable. He highlights Edut 710, a volunteer initiative that records witness testimonies at their own pace, and its Smart Archive developed with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, which makes accounts searchable in Hebrew and English. Klein draws a parallel to Holocaust documentation, noting that October 7 is already being denied and distorted, and emphasizes the need for accurate, attributed material. He urges readers to support the archive beyond the anniversary and to record family knowledge while witnesses can still speak. The column concludes with a commitment to keep making room for these stories.