May 28, 2024
At The Moment Music Stood Still, Members of Women’s Philanthropy Bore Witness to the Tribe of Nova Music Festival Massacre
“It’s different than anything you’ve seen in the news,” said Suzette Diamond of The Moment Music Stood Still, an immersive installation memorializing the Tribe of Nova Music Festival massacre perpetrated by Hamas on October 7. It is intended as a dedication to the peace and love that was cut short on that fateful day.
Diamond chaired the trip to New York, organized by Women's Philanthropy, for an exclusive visit to the exhibit, on display for a limited time. She described the exhibit as even more impactful than the actual site of the festival — now a memorial — that she saw in February while on a Federation Israel Solidarity Mission.
“Here, you really got to feel the experience of the partcipants who were at the festival,” said Diamond. “It was hands-on. There were tables of stuff…” including a lost-and-found area, from which survivors of the attack could — and did — retrieve their belongings. “You saw their clothes, shoes, makeup bags,” she added. “You were touching the burnt cars they were trying to escape in, saw the bullet-ridden portable toilets and the tents they camped in ... even the bar from the festival on was display.”
Firsthand testimonials from victims murdered or still kidnapped and being held captive in Gaza, along with videos from their family members, are uniquely used to share the horror they endured, making the exhibit a very personal and real encounter. There are even goodbye videos sent by some in their final moments.
“Powerful,” “painful,” “meaningful,” “heartbreaking,” “memorable,” “moving” — these were just some of the words used by the group participants to describe what they saw. “They were all so young and had so much potential,” mourned Diamond. “They were there to just have a good time, enjoy the music and each other.” Diamond noted that had her own son been in Israel at the time, he might’ve been there. “He would’ve made it a point to find such a gathering.”
The group heard from Millet Ben Haim (pictured center above in grey), a survivor of the brutal attack, who shared her incredible story of barely managing to escape and the trauma she continues to endure today. Ben Haim encouraged the group to have hope, to keep the stories of what’s happened alive and emphasized the importance of community healing. She shared her favorite quote, a poignant and timeless message from the Zionist writer and philosopher A.D. Gordon, “There will not be a victory of light over darkness as long as we do not recognize the simple truth, that instead of fighting the darkness, we must increase the light.”
While the exhibit was a challenging, and at times overwhelming experience, participants felt strongly it should be seen by everyone, especially students and protesters who deny the attacks even happened. Visiting the installation sends a message to victims' families that they are not alone and underscores the importance of bearing witness.
“We need to keep talking about it,” emphasized Diamond. “That was the purpose of this trip and exactly what I’m doing.”
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To learn more about the exhibit, click here.
