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By: Mario Mancini
In the heart of downtown, a solemn yet poignant exhibit has emerged, a testament to tragedy and resilience. With a haunting display of battered shoes, recovered cell phones echoing frantic messages to loved ones, and immersive video installations capturing the confusion and terror of the day, the new downtown exhibit commemorating the Oct. 7 Nova music festival massacre invokes memories akin to the solemnity of the 9/11 Memorial and the somber reflection of Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust Museum.
“It’s not an exhibition about Nova. It is Nova — we want them to feel — to feel the journey, the light in their hearts before” the attack, Feingold emphasized, highlighting the essence of the experience.
. Co-founder Ofir Amir, still bearing the physical scars of the attack, expressed the exhibition’s purpose: to honor the 370 souls lost to the violence orchestrated by Hamas.
Thousands of artifacts, ranging from burnt-out cars to bullet-pierced port-o-potties, were painstakingly assembled to recreate the harrowing scenes of the attack. Each item serves as a poignant reminder of how moments of peace were shattered by the onslaught of rockets.
“This wasn’t a terror attack. This was something much bigger – it’s biblical,” Amir remarked, underscoring the magnitude of the tragedy and the ongoing struggle for survival.
Reut Feingold, the exhibit’s creator, director, and writer, sought to transport visitors back to the festival’s joyous atmosphere before the invasion. Survivor Natalie Sanandaji and Nova Foundation Chairman Reef Peretz stand in the exhibit’s “healing room,” where the words “we will dance again” offer a beacon of hope amidst the darkness.
“It’s not an exhibition about Nova. It is Nova — we want them to feel — to feel the journey, the light in their hearts before” the attack, Feingold emphasized, highlighting the essence of the experience.
Throughout the exhibit, signs and videos recount the randomness that determined life or death on that fateful day. The violence unleashed on the music festival is depicted with unflinching honesty, as one rescue volunteer recalled the gruesome discovery of bodies burned beyond recognition.
Visitors with shell-shocked expressions traverse the dimly lit 50,000-square-foot space, culminating in a luminous healing tent and lighthouse, symbolizing the resilience and the collective determination to overcome tragedy with the rallying cry, “We will dance again.”
Tickets, starting at $1, offer access to the exhibit, with options to contribute additional donations to support survivors and their families. In this space of remembrance and reflection, the Nova music festival lives on, not just as a tragic event but as a testament to the human spirit’s enduring strength in the face of adversity.
