Some turned to activism, some embraced their Judaism. Others made films, raised funds, changed careers, moved to Israel.

A chef became a clown, to heal with laughter, and found "my true calling." A marathoner cried, and then ran. And ran, and ran, with a hostage's name on her back. She's still running.

For many in New Jersey's Jewish communities, the 2023 Hamas terror attack on Israel — and the two years of war in Gaza that have followed — marked a fundamental break. "Oct. 7 was the day that divided my life into 'before' and 'after,'" as Teaneck Councilwoman Hillary Goldberg put it.

Here are some of their stories, as told to The Record and NorthJersey.com. These excerpts have been edited for space and clarity.

Adi Vaxman, 49, of Fair Lawn

On Oct. 7, 2023 , my family and my world

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