Despite a 2026 ban by the Israel Police and KKL‑JNF, a group marked Simchat Torah near the Nova Festival memorial in Re'im Forest, the site where 378 people were killed in the October 7 attack. KKL‑JNF said the site is reserved solely for remembrance and communion; its chairman called the gathering inappropriate. Relatives of victims condemned the observance as deeply disrespectful. A 2025 incident at the same site prompted the current ban.
Simchat Torah Observance Near Nova Festival Memorial Defies Police and KKL‑JNF Ban, Sparking Family Outrage
Visitors to the site of the Nova music festival. (photo credit: YOAV LIN/KKL-JNF)
A small group gathered on Oct. 3 to mark Simchat Torah near the Nova music festival memorial in Re'im Forest despite a joint ban issued by the Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael–Jewish National Fund (KKL‑JNF) and the Israel Police, N12 News reported. The site was established as a place of remembrance for the 378 civilians and security personnel killed during the October 7 attack.
What Happened
Organizers said they sought understanding for their choice, arguing that families commemorate the anniversaries of lost loved ones in different ways and that their form of observance should be respected. Video footage published by N12 shows participants marking the holiday at the memorial; the cameraman noted that participants had previously agreed the celebration would not be held at the site.
Official Response
The KKL‑JNF reiterated that the Nova site is dedicated exclusively to remembrance and communion with victims and that visits on holidays are permitted only for those purposes. In a statement, the organization said it will not grant permission for events or organized activities that are not for remembrance and communion, in coordination with the Israel Police and relevant security and rescue authorities.
KKL‑JNF Chairman Eyal Ostrinsky: Holding a celebration at the Nova site is inappropriate; it is unthinkable to stage a party where so many were murdered. Our priority is preserving the sanctity of the memory of those killed.
Families' Reaction
Relatives of the October 7 victims expressed anger and distress. Bereaved family member Omri Rahum told N12 that participants were "dancing on their blood," and said the behavior — which he described as dancing, eating and sleeping at the memorial — was deeply disrespectful and equivalent, in his view, to staging celebrations at Auschwitz, Yad Vashem or a cemetery.
Context
A similar event at the Nova memorial in 2025 provoked outrage among victims' families and led to the joint 2026 ban on celebrations at the site. The memorial was created with significant investment by KKL‑JNF to provide a dedicated place of memory for the victims of the October 7 attack.
Source: N12 News. Photo credit: S.R. / Itay Gal On.
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