Prayer Service Held at Nova Festival Site on Eve of Hebrew Anniversary of Oct. 7 Massacre

Prayer Service Held at Nova Festival Site on Eve of Hebrew Anniversary of Oct. 7 Massacre

Hundreds gathered early Wednesday morning at the site of the Supernova music festival for a solemn prayer service marking Hoshana Rabbah, exactly 24 hours before the Hebrew-date anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attack. The festival grounds, located near Kibbutz Re’im in southern Israel, were one of the deadliest sites of the massacre, where over 350 people lost their lives.

The 12-hour memorial event, organized by the Tikvah Forum for Families of Hostages, included traditional Torah classes and prayers characteristic of Hoshana Rabbah—the final day of the weeklong Sukkot holiday. The day holds particular significance as it precedes Simchat Torah, the holiday on which the devastating attack occurred in 2023.

“In the place where the terrible massacre took place a year ago, now the sounds of Torah study and prayer are heard,” the Tikvah Forum stated. “We study here because this is the strongest Zionist and Jewish response.” The organization added, “We miss our loved ones, and are here to pray and study for them. We light more light in a place where [Hamas] tried to darken it.”

The forum plans to return to Re’im following the conclusion of Simchat Torah on Thursday night for “Hakafot Shniyot”—a celebration featuring dancing with Torah scrolls and musical performances.

Earlier this month, on October 7, families gathered at the same location to commemorate the first anniversary according to the Gregorian calendar. At 6:29 a.m., marking the exact moment of the Hamas assault, attendees observed a moment of silence. The ceremony included the lowering of the Israeli flag, the playing of “The Children of Winter 2023,” recitation of the Yizkor memorial prayer, and concluded with Israel’s national anthem, “Hatikvah.”

Yaakov Gabay, who lost his daughter Shani in the attack, shared his ongoing grief: “It’s even harder a year later. I come here a lot. I was here last October 7 to look for Shani and I saved many people. I didn’t manage to save her, but it’s essential for me to be here.”

The attack’s lasting impact continues to be felt, with twenty-one festival attendees still held hostage in Gaza. According to official Israeli figures, seventeen are presumed to be alive.

Hoshana Rabbah, the seventh day of Sukkot falling on the 21st day of Tishrei, is traditionally marked by special synagogue services where worshippers make seven circuits while holding the lulav and etrog and reciting Hoshanot prayers. This year’s observance at the festival site carries additional weight as the community continues to grapple with the profound losses of October 7, 2023, when approximately 1,200 people were murdered in the Hamas-led attack.

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