When I first heard that there was going to be an exhibit to remember the Nova music festival massacre I really did not want to go. I was afraid that it would be too intense. Two days after four hostages were rescued from Gaza, there was a hate demonstration in front of the festival exhibit and I thought now I have to go . I went last Monday.
I'm very glad that I went. It was very intense and very meaningful . The exhibit was created by survivors of the massacre. There were pictures of those were lost. The videos were not too graphic. It tells and shows what happened while respecting the deceased.
A few things really stuck with me . The pop up tents. Same darn pop up tents as the campus hate encampments. Things can be used for love or for hate. The other thing that really stuck out was was how very young most of the people at the nova festival were, Sure , we see the faces of those who were massacred, and we see their ages. Until I saw the endless photos on the memorial walls with photos of the massacred people it didn't really sink in. One young man was a triplet conceived through IVF. Others died trying to save others. There would be obituaries saying the deceased was such a lovely boy, . It was then that it sunk in how young most of these victims were.
The Nova Festival was on the last day of Sukkot and on Simchat Torah. There were a few tables of clothing and other things left behind. Among the shoes, phones and tote bags were kippot and siddurim. There was a book called Hashem loves me.
In one area I found a bunch of pictures of sisters Roya and Norelle Manzuri and Norelle's boyfriend Amit Cohn who were murdered at the Nova festival. On the back of the picture there was tefillat haderech.- the Jewish travel prayer. Next to the pictures there was a note saying please take one of these to remember our children , I'm just tearing up just writing this . I took a card and will most certainly think of them when I use this when I travel. I will think of all of those who so tragically lost their lives there. .
At the end of the exhibit there is a wall with the faces of the Israeli hostages and a few videos about them. There are also notecards where one can write condolences and place the cards at various points in the exhibit. There was an area of art that people made to remember those who were murdered and even poems of hope for the future. There also is an area where one can sit and collect one's thoughts .
As I am writing this the exhibit has closed in NYC. I suppose I have to thank the hate demonstraters of June 10. They made sure that I saw this exhibit. Scooter Braun , the facilitator f this exhibit extended this exhibit because he felt that it was important more people see this exhibit. I am not sure that any of the brainwashed were in attendance but the extended opening gave time for more people to memorialize this atrocity and for that I am grateful.
