Nearly two and a half years after October 7, the world continues to move forward - from shock, to war, to a long and uneven process of reckoning. For many, the day risks becoming a headline of the past. For photojournalist Chen Schimmel, ensuring that never happens has become a personal mission.
Next week, Schimmel will bring that message to the second annual Jerusalem Post Miami Summit, where she will appear as both a speaker and an honoree. Just before the summit, she will be recognized as one of the 25 Young Visionaries of 2025, a distinction reserved for emerging leaders shaping the Jewish and global conversation.
At just 26 years old, the Israeli photojournalist has emerged as one of the most powerful visual chroniclers of October 7 and its aftermath. Through her lens, Schimmel does not allow the atrocities of that day to fade into the past. Instead, she captures them as lived reality - human, raw, and impossible to ignore.
That mission is at the heart of her book, October 7: Bearing Witness, a collection of photographs and testimonies documenting the violence of October 7 and the resilience that followed. The book serves not only as a historical record, but as an act of remembrance and responsibility.
Schimmel’s drive to document the events of October 7 was deeply personal. As her father volunteered with ZAKA in emergency response efforts and her brothers served as soldiers on the ground in the south, she felt a profound obligation to act.
“I couldn’t sit still,” she recalled. “I had to go witness and document.”
That instinct propelled her toward the scenes many could not bear to see, but that the world, she believes, must confront.
Reflecting on October 7, Schimmel described the moment that solidified her resolve:
“When the sirens rang on October 7, I knew I had to go - to use my lens to ensure the world never forgets what happened to us, and to use that same lens to help rebuild.”
Her appearance in Miami will focus on the difficult but necessary truths contained within her work - images that do not sanitize grief or trauma, but honor victims by refusing to let their stories be erased or distorted.
Beyond documentation, Schimmel’s work is rooted in action. All proceeds from October 7: Bearing Witness are donated to support Israeli soldiers suffering from PTSD, ensuring that the act of remembrance directly contributes to healing.
“This book isn’t just about the past,” Schimmel emphasized. “It’s about responsibility in the present.”
As an olah (an immigrant to Israel), Schimmel has a unique position between Israel and the Jewish diaspora. Her lived experience allows her to navigate both worlds with fluency, using photography as a bridge between audiences who experience October 7 from vastly different distances.
“At a young age, I picked up my camera and understood that this would be my way of telling our stories to the world,” she said.
That ability to translate trauma across cultures was on full display last month, when Schimmel received a standing ovation at The Jerusalem Post’s Washington conference at the United States Capitol. Her presentation resonated deeply with both Jewish and non-Jewish audience members, underscoring her rare capacity to convey the emotional weight of October 7 without losing historical precision.
A steadfast advocate for Israel and the Jewish people, Schimmel continues to serve as a vessel between the United States and Israel - raising awareness, challenging denial, and reinforcing the urgency of remembrance.
"These stories must never be forgotten,” she insists. “They must never be denied; we have a shared responsibility to remember, to hold truth."
At the Miami Summit, Schimmel’s presence will stand as a reminder that while the world may move forward, memory must move with it - guided by those willing to bear witness.
Written in collaboration with Chen Schimmel