Nova Festival Victims Memorial

The Nova Festival Victims Memorial is a monument commemorating the victims of the Nova Festival massacre. It is located in the Re'im parking lot near Kibbutz Re'im, where the festival took place on October 6–7, 2023.[1][2][3]

Nova Festival Victims Memorial
אנדרטת נרצחי פסטיבל נובה
Nova Festival Victims Memorial
General information
LocationNear Kibbutz Re'im

Background

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On the night between October 6 and 7, 2023, the "Nova" festival took place in the Re'im parking lot near Kibbutz Re'im in the Gaza envelope.

On the morning of October 7, 2023, at 6:29 AM, a rocket attack from the Gaza Strip towards the surrounding settlements began. Under the cover of the rockets, Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, during which Nukhba operatives carried out a massacre at the festival.

The Memorial

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Photos of the victims from the party are displayed at the memorial in the Re'im parking lot. At the site where the massacre occurred, a memorial was established in memory of the victims. On Tu BiShvat 5784, the families of the victims planted trees in memory of their loved ones, and the Jewish National Fund (JNF) erected posts displaying photos of the murdered and kidnapped, along with Israeli flags. At the base of these posts, artists from across the country placed red anemone sculptures, symbolizing the flowers that bloom in the nearby Re'im forest during winter and serving as a metaphor for the young lives lost.[4][5][6]

Additionally, members of the civilian emergency response team displayed a sign with the message: "Bring them home now," along with a fabric adorned with paintings of 40 colorful butterflies, representing the number of people kidnapped from the party.[2][7]

Since the massacre, thousands have visited the site to lay wreaths. School groups, security personnel, delegations from abroad, and others regularly visit the memorial.[1][8] [9][10]

References

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  1. ^ a b Kershner, Isabel (2024-05-13). "Israelis Visit Nova Festival Site for National Day of Mourning". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-06-20.
  2. ^ a b "חרבות ברזל: מקומות שמומלץ לבקר ביישובי עוטף עזה שנפגעו". mako. 2024-04-21. Retrieved 2024-06-20.
  3. ^ AFP News Agency (2023-12-13). A memorial at site of Nova festival to remember the victims of Hamas attack on October 7 | AFP. Retrieved 2024-06-20 – via YouTube.
  4. ^ Amir Cohen (2024-01-24). קק״ל נוטעת עצים בחניון רעים -"יש המשכיות" (קק״ל x כיפה). Retrieved 2024-06-20 – via YouTube.
  5. ^ ""יש המשכיות" - האם השכולה נטעה עץ המסמל תקווה בחניון רעים בו נרצח בנה". כיפה (in Hebrew). 2024-01-24. Retrieved 2024-06-20.
  6. ^ ""מחווה מרגשת ומצמררת בדמעות": נטיעת עצים חדשים במתחם הנובה לזכר ההרוגים". www.maariv.co.il (in Hebrew). 2024-01-22. Retrieved 2024-06-20.
  7. ^ Zoya Vaisbein (2024-03-09). חניון רעים, עצים לזכר הנרצחים, 9.3.2024. Retrieved 2024-06-20 – via YouTube.
  8. ^ "» Never Forgotten: Memorializing the Victims of the Nova Massacre". Retrieved 2024-06-20.
  9. ^ Zitser, Joshua. "Israeli tour guides say leading groups to October 7 terror sites is the only way for them to make money now". Business Insider. Retrieved 2024-06-29.
  10. ^ ari (2024-03-29). "Resilience Amidst Ruins: A Journey Through the Gaza Envelope". Exclusive Israel Tours. Retrieved 2024-06-29.