
6:15 a.m. The sun glowed as it rose over the southern end of Israel and the thousands of attendees – toddlers. young adults, middle aged and the elderly – who had been partying all night long stopped to inhale the beauty of the morning.
This Nova festival – “Nova” meaning beginning – was a peace rally of sorts with diverse partyers from all over Israel and the world. Both Jews and non-Jews mingled as they danced, drank and felt a love of the universe. It was also Simchat Torah – the Jewish festival celebrating the giving of the Torah on Mount Siani.

Suddenly at 6:29 a.m. their peaceful co-existence was shattered by sirens and sounding of the red alerts! An attack! From where? Everyone looked to the sky and then to each other, paralyzed and not knowing what to do. Whatever decision they made next would mean life or death for many of the participants.
As the Hamas mobsters swarmed in on stolen tanks, motorcycles, cars and foot they spewed gunfire, slashing swords, daggers, hatchets screaming “Allah will reward!” and “God is great.” They hacked limbs, stabbed and shot everything in sight. Grenades were thrown, smoke choked the air, and the murder spree started.
When the massive rocket barrage on Israel began, music stopped, and thousands of people ordered to evacuate. Some escaped, but too many did not.
The bar area where there had moments before been laughter and enjoyment, now with the infiltration of the terrorists, became a hiding place for some as they ducked inside the drink fridges. But few of those survived to relate their last moments of horror.
The narrative of dance turned into a red sea of blood. Screams filled the once happy place.
As you inch through the exhibit you witness first-hand accounts of torture, escape, murder, and fear. Cell phones from the survivors spew out their horrific experiences. Some of the phones play messages as those fleeing cry out for help, make their last calls to loved ones, and couples who had come together kiss goodbye.
Tents, clothing, drawings, cameras, backpacks left behind are scattered on the ground just as the fleeing participants would have left them.
Many risked their own lives to return with vehicles to help drive victims out only to die themselves.

Near where the bar and DJ would have been, you witness burned out cars since the terrorists would not only shoot into the vehicles to kill whoever might be hiding in the seats but then they sprayed bullets under and set aflame the cars to make sure that everyone there died.
Even thou many of the attendees had been members of the armed forces at one time, the chaos and fear that embraced the crowd froze their actions. They ran to the forest, to the bomb shelters, to the ditches and anywhere they thought they could escape. Very few had weapons with them and did whatever they could to combat the madness.
Because Hamas had taken down the communication lines, it took time for the military and police to realize what was happening.
Frightened dancers stayed as quiet as they could sometimes for eight or more hours, pretending to be dead, fearing the worst. They waited for a break in the cries and for silence, hoping to slip away but often were fooled as the terrorists would pretend to be IDF and coax them out. Who could you trust?

Friends were held at gunpoint and forced to watch others being tortured and raped.
Naked girls, pinned to trees, had their limbs ripped from them and their pelvis’ crushed.
Some who couldn’t stand the wait ran from the bomb shelter only to be shot full of holes themselves and died on the spot.
In the hours that followed, furious battles waged with the few who could fight and the small security force against the massive numbers of terrorists that forced their way into the area.
The Nova Exhibit roaming the country has original items from the survivors. It is something you MUST SEE and yet something you fear to see.
This was the largest massacre in music history. A festival dedicated to peace and love was savagely cut short. Visitors travel on a timeline of The Nova Music Festival that tells the events of October 7th and that dreadful day. The carefully-crafted mosaic of information, evidence and emotion shows the joy and the bleak evidence between the values of the two cultures that clashed. Despite the fact that the bodies and faces are blurred, it is still difficult to watch.
In December 2023, a foundation was formed in response to the acute and growing emergent healing needs of the survivors and their grieving families. They remain committed to supporting those left through healing, commemorating and advocating for the rights of the behind and vow – THEY WILL DANCE AGAIN.
After a two-month run in New York, it currently it’s presenting in Culver City, California and will move on Oct 8th to a new location. It is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 to 8 pm. with the last entrance allowed at 7:40p.m. (On Friday’s it is only open until 4 p.m.) Tickets are available only online, and you must have a government ID or passport to be admitted. A metal detector and security check at the door. No liquids, large bags, non-essential medical face coverings, or weapons are allowed. It’s not advisable for children under the age of 16 to attend. Paid parking is available as is some street parking. Prices for tickets range from $8 to $180 and one can purchase up to eight tickets.
Bring good walking shoes as you will be on your feet for over an hour. The center is ADA-accessible.
The Los Angeles exhibit ended on Oct 8th but they are now moving to Miami. So go to their site for location and dates. It’s something that will change you.
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