“I stood here one year ago still in shock over the brutal massacre in my synagogue, Tree of Life, not knowing what to say,” said Rabbi Jeffrey Myers in remarks on Sunday night.

The evening program was full of psalms and prayers, candle-lighting and poetry. A video was played showing family members of the 11 deceased, now known by name across the city: 97-year-old Rose Mallinger; the beloved Rosenthal brothers, David and Cecil; Richard Gottfried, a pillar of the New Light congregation. The governor and the mayor spoke briefly, but most of the time was given to leaders of the three congregations.

“Xenophobia is as ancient as humanity; anti-Semitic hatred is also nothing new,” said Anne-Marie Mizel Nelson, a daughter of founding members of Dor Hadash. “It has not defeated us yet. And it will not defeat us now.”

Since almost immediately after the attack, a discussion about how best to move forward has never been far removed from the grief of what was lost. It was not far on Sunday, either.