in Israel, survivors of the October 7 attack dance to alleviate the trauma

More than 100 days after the October 7 terrorist attack by Hamas, survivors of the Tribe of Nova festival met in Israel to dance again.

In Israel, after a little more than three months of war, survivors of the October 7 attacks are trying to rebuild their lives. Several hundred participants of the Tribe of Nova festival, targeted by Hamas during their rave party, met on Friday January 19 and Saturday January 20, in the Negev desert, in the south of the country, to dance and party again .

Until five in the morning, under the blue and pink neon lights, Eliran danced again for the first time, he who, to flee the terrorists, hid for hours in a forest, on October 7: “It’s relieving. Even more so after what we went through. It happened at a music festival, so to release that drama through music is doubly rewarding. We’ll never stop dancing.”

“We will never stop dancing”

A few hours of dancing, to exorcise your anxieties, between the palm trees and hammocks in this piece of desert. In one corner, the flag of the Tribe of Nova festival flies. “We started with retreats, without raves, says Ren, one of the organizers of this party. “And little by little, we accompany them in the healing process. It is important to dance, in general, alone at home or at a party, even more for people who loved it so much,” assures the organizer.

“I think it’s a victory. We kind of didn’t stop.”

Ren, one of the organizers of the party

at franceinfo

Under a tent, some play music. Yoav and Gal approach. The first is a soldier, he almost followed the drama of the Nova festival and his mobilization for the war. So this weekend is, for both of them, a real return to their lives before: “It’s very moving to hear the music and to dance. Like coming full circle. And I really missed that.”

“The terrorists did not win”

“Since October 7, the holiday had a negative connotation for me, so it did me a lot of good, adds Yoav. And then it is to show that the terrorists did not win, that they did not succeed in taking our honor. I tell my friends all the time that we didn’t make it to the end of the party because they interrupted us.”

“I wonder what would have happened if everything had continued as planned, he continues. We got a taste of that this weekend. It’s one of the most beautiful ways to express our freedom.” Soon, Yoav will take up his weapons again, but hopes to return to dance with his friend as soon as possible.