On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists violently invaded Israel, killing over 1,200 Israelis. The Nova Music Festival, which took place near the Israeli border with Gaza, was an early target of the brutal Hamas massacre and left hundreds dead and countless more injured and fleeing for their lives.
This series of interviews is dedicated to spotlighting the stories of resilience of those individuals who were at the Nova festival on that day and endured the trauma of Oct. 7, 2023, as they rebuild their lives.
NAME | Tal Ben-Dror
AGE | 32
HOMETOWN | Rishpon, Israel
What I was doing before Oct. 7, 2023
I have been working at a high-tech company for 3 years. I love music and also play the piano. I love listening to live music, going to parties outdoors, and traveling. The ocean is a place that always does my soul good. I’m a daughter of amazing parents and a sister of two wonderful sisters. I love my family very much.
What I remember about Oct. 7
I arrived at the party with 14 other friends, some of us arrived by shuttle, including myself, and some arrived by car. I was on the dance floor when I saw the missiles, and went to the camping area with my friends to start packing. We got on the shuttle and heard gunshots. We fled on foot for 3 hours until we were rescued by Midburn Festival producers who came to set up in the area, and they took us to the Tal-Or farm. We hid at the farm for 7 hours, and when we realized that no one would come to rescue us, we fled with the producers’ vehicles to the center of Israel. Tragically, our friend Sharona was murdered, and Sohaib, the driver of the shuttle, was also murdered.
How I am healing
It helps me to go to the Nova community days and be with my friends. I started psychological therapy right after the NOVA tragedy using the EMDR method, and the therapy has helped me a lot. Giving lectures and sharing my story also helps me. I have lectured and been interviewed in Israel and around the world, and I will also share my story at the Nova Exhibition in Toronto.
What are my dreams?
My main dream is that our hostages will return home in peace. I also dream of turning my pain into strength that will help me and other people and give and receive inspiration as well. I hope to find peace with myself and live in a world of peace and love.
What is one thing we should know about the Nova survivor community?
Our community represents, to me, the values of friendship, freedom, love, and unconditional acceptance. On that dark day, I saw the evil of humanity, but also the good in people, thanks to people from this community and beyond. We will not stop dancing, and I am proud to be part of this community of amazing people who have been through the worst and are still here to stay.
NAME | Alona Nnachmani
AGE | 24
HOMETOWN | Jerusalem, Israel
What I was doing before Oct. 7
I lived in Kibbutz Nir David with my partner while guiding the community’s youth group. In my free time, I created ceramics and danced. I also went to parties, went out with friends, studied, and read books.
What I remember about Oct. 7, 2023
I arrived happy and excited for my first trance party. I came with seven friends and we were all so happy and had a great time. One of the friends was confined to a wheelchair because he had broken his leg in an accident a month before the event. He was unwilling to skip the festival, and we promised to help him.
We left the party at 7 a.m. the morning of the attack and got stuck in traffic. We tried to get into a shelter in front of Kibbutz Re’im, but there was no room and we saw a lot of people running and climbing into the kibbutz over the gate.
Because of my friend’s injury, we couldn’t all get in, despite the danger we knew awaited us, so we decided to choose to stay together as a group. Eventually, we continued to the shelter at the Urim gas station and hid there until we were eventually rescued.
How am I healing
Meeting with my psychologist is constructive. I have to work at it each day. The project in the secret forest in Cyprus was when I realized that I had to take care of myself and not give up on who I was before the Nova festival.
What are my dreams
My dream is to be myself. To be healthy. To get excited about the little things and never stop feeling joy. To feel that I am choosing life. To fulfill my small dreams on the way to the big ones. To share my story and give hope to others. That our country will continue to exist, that the hostages will return to us, and that our soldiers will fight with courage.
What is one thing we should know about the Nova survivor community?
The light and joy that existed—and still exists—in this community. The love for music. For freedom. For dancing. For smiles. The spontaneity and truth within us, and the pain that we all carry in our hearts — and will carry with us forever.
NAME | Dorit Tau
AGE | 47
HOME | Nahariya, Israel
What I was doing before Oct. 7
I was a person of family, living a communal life and managing two businesses—one focused on therapeutic massage and the other on teaching swimming. I was a person fully immersed in daily routines and, of course, family.
What I remember about Oct. 7, 2023
Before the massacre, I photographed the beautiful and innocent sunset. I arrived with three friends and the partner of one of them, who was taken from us and murdered when some of us were forced to split up. We fled for our lives amidst the horrors and artillery fire directed at us.
How am I healing
Conversations with therapists—a psychiatrist and a psychologist—tailored to my needs, have been part of my journey. I studied and trained in the first cohort of mentors in the Nova mentoring program, which will allow me to assist other survivors of the Nova festival tragedy with their own recovery. I have built spaces with my new community and family from Nova. I have experienced moments of pain and small, precious moments of joy and triumph with them. Specialized retreats have also been helpful.
What are my dreams
To succeed in touching the heart of everyone, and for those who do not yet know love, I wish for them to experience tenderness and goodness, even if parts within them require forgiveness. I want to help ease their pain and bring extra hope to all who cross our paths. I aim to return to being a full-time mother to my son, to be an active presence in his life, and to resume working—even if it’s in a slightly different way—providing help to my surroundings and to myself.
What is one thing we should know about the Nova survivor community?
That we are a tribe of love, acceptance, and forgiveness.
Name | Itay Hamer
Age | 27
Home | Tel Aviv
What I was doing before Oct. 7
Before Oct. 7, I worked as a sales and account manager at a sustainability startup. I lived with roommates in Tel Aviv, and enjoyed quality time with friends and family. I would go on trips, to concerts and parties, and the feeling of freedom and the good life was part of my everyday life. Music, connecting with people, and a sense of meaning were central to my life.
What I remember about Oct. 7, 2023
I came to the festival with 9 friends. After half an hour, when we realized that the music would not return, we ran to the car, and from there began a journey of survival that included escape under gunfire and a sense of complete uncertainty. After hours of hiding, two terrorists identified me and fired an RPG missile at me. I managed to escape and be rescued by 2 police officers. I lost six friends that day, two of whom were among the people closest to me.
How am I healing now?
After about six months of attempting to heal and focus on self-care, I began to actively participate in the “Tribe of Nova” foundation’s activities. Since then, I have been engaged in commemoration, testimony, and dialogue. I have found immense strength in sharing and meeting with other survivors. Emotional therapy, lectures, and even traveling abroad with delegations as part of the effort to preserve our story have helped me process, grow stronger, and transform pain into meaning. I feel that combining action with emotion is my way of healing.
What are your hopes and dreams?
My dream is to transform the pain we have experienced into a force that can make an impact. I aspire to continue representing our community both in Israel and globally, to establish initiatives with social value, and to bring healing to myself and others through action. I want to build a meaningful life based on love, purpose, and a deep connection with people.
What is one thing we should know about the Nova survivor community?
The Nova Festival on Oct. 7 is not just a memory of tragedy – it is a testament to the human spirit, to love, and to unity. We are a community of people seeking life, creativity, freedom, and belonging – all of which were cruelly interrupted. Yet, from this devastation, a community has risen that heals, fights for its story, and continues to fight for hope. I want the world to know that we are here to stay, determined to build a different future.
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NAME | Osher Daniel
AGE | 23
HOME | Hadera, Israel
Who I was before Oct. 7, 2023
Before the seventh of October, I was searching for myself. I worked as a waitress at the beach and as a saleswoman in an event center. I really loved going out to parties and enjoyed my life. My life was filled with the pleasures of parties and friends. I loved my life, but on the other hand, I was terribly lost.
How I remember Oct. 7
October 7. What I remember. A convoy of colorful vehicles on the way to a party in Gan Eden – fairies, love, music. Then, with the sunrise, everything turned into a nightmare. On the way back, at the Reim intersection, we saw ten terrorists on motorcycles. Shooting. Soldiers lying and bleeding. Somehow, we managed to escape, but at the next junction – bodies and cries for help. There was no choice but to turn back through the terrorists. We drove full gas, gunshots from every direction, the windows shattered, but we didn’t stop.
We tried to reach a nearby kibbutz, but (my friend) Itay caught me just before I got out of the car – terrorists were running towards us. In the traffic jam, people panicked when they saw our car full of bullet holes. I spotted the terrorists again, I shouted for everyone to run. I lost my friends in the run, but my other friend Stav called me to come to her.
We arrived at the party camp, but a moment later terrorists surrounded us. I fled to the tents and found shelter under the main stage, with dozens of people. Blood, tears, complete silence. After two hours, a call was heard to run south. It was the “death run.” People fell one after another.
We tried to hide, but terrorists threw stones at us. When I realized they were holding RPGs, I knew it was time to escape. The phones went dead, and I lost hope. A policeman told me on the phone to dig a hole and hide. I called my mother, crying silently. Finally, I went out with a Muslim guy who had a police location. We walked for ten minutes, which seemed like an eternity. When we reached them, they directed us to an ambulance.
Stav and Assaf were murdered.
I am alive, but the wounds remain deep. Today I understand. I am here to tell, so that we will never forget
How are you doing today? How are you healing?
I am an actress today, fulfilling my dreams and finding a lot of healing in this and yoga and meditation. Getting closer to myself and making room for the pain. I am a part of Hebrew community groups and have an amazing therapist and family support.
What are your hopes and dreams?
To be able to heal a broken heart. To make peace with myself and be released from this place of guilt. To develop in the field of entrepreneurship and acting. To learn and develop.
What is one thing we should know about the Nova survivor community?
It takes time to heal a broken heart. But we are a people of light and love. And together we are better.
For more information, visit tribeofnova.com. These interviews have been edited for clarity and translated.
