Nova Tribe Marks Three Years Since October 7 Massacre With Memorial at Re'im

Three years after the October 7 massacre, the Nova Tribe community marked the somber anniversary with a memorial ceremony at the Re'im site, opening with a moment of silence. Hundreds of participants attended the gathering, including President Isaac Herzog, freed captive Elkana Bohbot, bereaved families, and survivors such as Yuval Rafael, who survived the Re'im death shelter by playing dead.

Memorial Prayers and Presidential Address

Elkana Bohbot, who spent 738 days in captivity before being released, recited the Yizkor memorial prayer from the very site where he was abducted. "May the people of Israel remember the pure souls of its sons and daughters, victims of the October 7 festival," he said in an emotional address.

President Isaac Herzog addressed the crowd, emphasizing the painful contrast between the frozen time of grief and the relentless march of life.

The jarring contradiction between the frozen experience of mourning and the stubborn movement of life accompanies our lives all the way here, accompanying survivors daily in their heroic struggle for health and soul.

Remembering the Victims of the South

Liat, the mother of Ofork Rabia who was murdered alongside two childhood friends at the festival, spoke about the unending grief and the constant search for light. On October 7, 412 people were murdered at southern parties, including Nova, Mushroom, Psyduck, and Midburn. A total of 44 people were abducted from the Nova party, 25 of whom have been released alive. Today, the Nova Tribe Community Association supports some 14,000 bereaved family members, survivors, and freed captives.