The memorial exhibit of the Nova music festival in New York opened Saturday night to the general public. It includes testimonies and original items from the massacre that will be presented to the international community. This is the first exhibit to cross Israel's borders.
The name chosen for the exhibit is "6:29" as a reference to the time when the onslaught of the Hamas terror attack began. The exhibit, which will be open to visitors until the end of May, is located in the Wall Street area of Manhattan. Entry is allowed for ages 16 and above, and tickets can be purchased from a dedicated website set up for the project.
Visitors will be exposed to the story of the Nova community, its values, and the story of the famous party. Afterward, the exhibit leads viewers to spaces that display the dimensions of the disaster and massacre, featuring original items of the festival attendees. Among the objects flown to the United States are bullet-riddled bathroom facilities, burned cars, clothing items, and parts of the main stage and sound system.
In another room will be screened videos documenting the moments of combat and testimonies of survivors in breached and massacred shelters.
The exhibit concludes in a hall where viewers arrive, which was established as part of the Nova survivors' rehabilitation activities. In the final area, a memorial wall is set up with the personal stories of the murdered victims, and next to it, an area dedicated to the Israeli hostages still held captive by Hamas.
The establishment of the exhibit in the US was made possible thanks to cooperation between the Public Diplomacy Directorate, the Diaspora Affairs Ministry, Jewish organizations, the La'Aretz Foundation, and American philanthropists. They invested around three million dollars in the project. According to the organizers, this is the first Israeli public diplomacy project to be physically and visually distributed worldwide. Proceeds from ticket sales will go toward commemorating the victims, for their families, rehabilitation of the survivors, supporting the Nova community, and public diplomacy efforts.
Omry Sasi, one of the founders of the Nova community, told Israel Hayom, "The exhibit allows visitors to experience all stages of the event from the beginning of the festival to the moments of horror. We are making every effort to commemorate the victims, raise resources for the benefit of the survivors, and, of course, engage in public diplomacy to present the truth tangibly to the world."
Shelly Pitman, founder of the La'Aretz Foundation which assisted in bringing the Nova exhibit to New York, described her feelings after viewing it as an "emotional upheaval for those who have not been exposed to the horrific sights."
The exhibit was inaugurated by Israel's Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan who described it as a "premier public diplomacy tool." He said he planned to bring his fellow UN ambassadors to visit the exhibit.
"I am convinced that this will have an extraordinary impact on their opinion and activities," Erdan said.
