The Story Behind the Memorial Site
On Saturday, October 7, 2023, Simchat Torah, thousands of people came to celebrate and dance at the Nova and Mushroom festivals that took place at the Re’im parking lot, and at the Psyduck party held in the area between Nirim and Nir Oz. The Midburn production team was also gathered for a preparatory meeting at the Tal Or Farm, between Re’im and Orim. In the early hours of that morning, the Hamas terrorist organization launched a murderous surprise attack against Israel. Under the cover of heavy rocket fire, thousands of armed terrorists from the Gaza Strip infiltrated Israeli territory, raiding IDF bases, civilian communities, and party grounds.
The Re’im parking lot, which until that morning had been a place of joy, love and freedom, quickly became the site of one of the most horrific massacres the State of Israel has ever known. Hundreds of civilians were brutally murdered, and policemen and soldiers fell alongside them in heroic battles. Forty-four people from the site were kidnapped and taken to the Gaza Strip.
Even before the fate of all the missing and the abductees was known, bereaved families and friends began to visit the sooty, blood-soaked area. Heartbroken, they wanted to leave something to memorialize of their loved ones there. One by one, improvised signs were planted on the floor of the dance area, bearing pictures of the murdered men and women, and in this way, the initial memorial site began to take shape. However, when the memorialization signs began to fill the plaza, the area remained exposed to the elements, imprinted with pain, and with no official guiding hand involved.
A Place of Memory
On December 31, 2023, while working on the heritage project for the Hatikva neighborhood in Beit Dani in Tel Aviv, Amir happened to meet Sigal Shemer, the mother of the late Ron Shemer, who was murdered in the Gama West shelter after fleeing the Nova party grounds. While they spoke, they began to discuss the issue of how to commemorate the loss of hundreds of people, from all parts of Israeli society, who do not belong to any single local community. The idea of uniting their faces in a single collage was born out of this conversation; such a collage would give the victims a shared memorial location. For Amir, it was a moment that changed the course of his life, and led him to dedicate his time and creativity to the establishment of the Nova festival memorial site.
On Tu B’Shvat, January 21, 2024, Amir placed a large collage on the dance floor at the Re’im parking lot site, combining hundreds of portraits of the murdered men and women. This was the first step on the path that would guide his continued work. Instead of focusing on how the victims were murdered, he chose to tell the story of who they were in their lives, of what they loved and what they dreamed of. To this end, he contacted their families, viewed thousands of photos and videos, and listened to friends who shared their memories with him. Together with the families, texts were written for all the victims – texts that tell the personal story of each and every one of them.
On the same day, an official connection was established with the Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael – Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF), which assumed responsibility for an area of about 240 dunams, of which about 90 dunams were allocated for the memorial site. The partnership with the KKL-JNF made it possible to transform the initial commemoration site that was created at the Re’im parking lot into an organized, accessible and durable site – a site that can preserve the stories of the victims for years to come, and which can welcome the many visitors who had already begun to come to the site.
A Shared Endeavor Born of Pain
The entire site was built and continues to develop thanks to the deep partnership between Amir, Meir Zohar and Jojo Rabia, thanks to their volunteer work and their exceptional dedication.
Meir Zohar, the father of the late Bar Zohar who was murdered at the Nova party, took upon himself the management of the site on behalf of the bereaved families, as well as responsibility for ongoing contact between the families and Amir and the JNF.
Jojo Rabia, the father of the late Noam and Yuval Rabia, who were murdered at the Psyduck party alongside JoJo’s daughter-in-law Noy Zafraani, brought with him knowledge and skill in ironwork. In the metalworking workshop at his home in Moshav Yesha, Jojo and Amir planned and created the complex iron frames that serve as the base for the construction of the presentations.
Since then, the three have been working tirelessly to establish and develop the site. The improvised signs that were initially placed in the ground were gradually replaced by uniform framed plaques that are resistant to the elements. Each plaque shows pictures and the life story of the murdered person, written in Hebrew and English, in texts drafted by their families. Alongside the plaques, additional exhibits and commemorative spaces were built, which gradually came together as an entire memorial site.
Amir also joined with Yohai Rivlin, whose two brothers, the late Gideon (Gigi) Rivlin and the late Aviad Rivlin, were murdered at the party, while Yohai and his brother Yinon survived. Yohai, an artist who worked with iron who was a partner in the construction of the party’s infrastructure, accompanied Amir throughout the entire process, and was a key participant in the planning, design and construction of many of the exhibits at the site, including the yellow garbage dumpster, the small bar, the mushroom party complex, the police command post, and the main stage.
This joint work has been accompanied by pain and tears, and by emotional moments that the three share with the families and with the many visitors who visit the site. The goal for which the site was established continues to be realized in every meeting with a family, in every story that is given a place and in every visitor who stops to get to know the person behind the picture. That goal to preserve the memory of the murdered men and women and to continue to tell their life stories, and to be a “moral and ethical compass for everyone”, in accordance with Amir’s vision.
June 2025 | National Recognition – the President's Award for Volunteering
In June 2025, Amir Chodorov was awarded the President’s Medal for Volunteering by the President of the State of Israel, along with 18 other outstanding individuals and organizations. The award was given to him for his exceptional and tireless work, and for his deep dedication to the bereaved families. The award reflected the State’s recognition of the national importance of the memorial site, and of its contribution to community resilience and the healing processes of hundreds of families and hundreds of thousands of citizens.
2025–2026 | A National Pilgrimage Center and a Look to the Future
The Re’im parking lot memorial site has become the most visited site in Israel and a pilgrimage center for visitors from Israel and around the world. It is visited by between 7,000 and 10,000 visitors every day, including family members, soldiers, tourists, high school students, and official delegations. IDF units and other security agencies hold heritage days at the site, as part of a deepening of familiarity with the events of October 7 and the stories of those who were murdered.
Funding, support and partners for the national mission
The establishment and development of the memorial site was made possible first and foremost by the extraordinary personal commitment of the artist Amir Chodorov, who invested about NIS 4.5 million of his own money.
The National Commemorative Project is run in collaboration with and with the support of:
KKL – The Jewish National Fund (JNF): The owner of the land and a central partner in the development of the site. The KKL-JNF manages the physical infrastructure and forest areas, and has and will invest considerable resources in the construction and maintenance of the site.
Emek Hefer Foundation: Together with representatives of the families, the Foundation leads and manages the fundraising campaign. It also supervises and accompanies the implementation of the investment plans.
The Nova Community Association: The Association contributes to the development of the site. In cooperation with Meir Zohar, the Association leads the activities intended for the families and the main memorial ceremony that takes place every year on October 7.