The memorial site for the victims of the Nova Festival has become KKL-JNF’s most visited site across Israel in the past six months, with an estimated 7,000 visitors coming to pay tribute every day.
The initiative was launched by bereaved families who sought to commemorate the more than 360 loved ones murdered in the horrific massacre at the rave on 7 October, 2023.
The memorial in southern Israel features pillars displaying the victims’ photographs alongside Israeli flags. It has become a site of pilgrimage for Jews from Israel and around the world looking to pay their respects to those massacred on Black Shabbat, the day when armed Hamas terrorists crossed the border from Gaza just over a mile away.
With the aim of making the site more accessible while preserving the memory of the victims, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF) allocated 4 million shekels or £840k to improve the Re’im parking lot.
Enhancements include the construction of accessible pathways, restroom facilities, durable and appropriate signage, educational spaces and a memorial grove.
KKL JNF Nova photo credit Yoav Linn
Meir Zohar, who lost his daughter Bar in the massacre, said: “This place is not just a memorial site for me and the other bereaved families—it is a space where we feel that our pain is seen and heard. KKL-JNF has undertaken an immense mission: to preserve the memory of the victims, make the site accessible, and provide families with a dignified place to connect with their loved ones. I am deeply grateful to everyone working to ensure that this place remains honorable, accessible, and worthy—so that the victims’ story is never forgotten.”
KKL JNF Nova photo credit Yoav Linn
Yaniv Maimon, KKL-JNF southern region director and the leader of this initiative, said: “We are proud to play a significant role in one of the most visited sites in Israel today. This site holds great national importance. Furthermore, many members of KKL-JNF’s Southern Region team, who are responsible for the site’s maintenance, were personally affected by the events of October 7, adding to their deep personal and emotional commitment to this site.”
KKL JNF Nova photo credit Yoav Linn
Ifat Ovadia-Luski, KKL-JNF chairwoman, added: “Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael Jewish National Fund has stood by the bereaved families from the very beginning. Improving and making this site accessible to the public—while ensuring the dignified and respectful preservation of the victims’ memory—is both a moral and national mission for us.
“We have created an open memorial site, planted a grove together with the families, and reconstructed key elements from the festival, such as the stage, the forward command post, the ambulance, and the yellow container.
“This place is not just a memory of what was—it is a living testament to the resilience, unity, and sorrow of Israeli society as a whole. We witness the tens of thousands of visitors arriving here each week, the tears, the embraces, and the public’s deep need to remember and never forget. This only strengthens our commitment to continue maintaining this site with the honor it deserves.”
