The Nova Music Festival Exhibition: October 7th 06:29am – The Moment Music Stood Still

The Nova Music Festival Exhibition is open in New York City through May 25. Tickets are just $1.

By Elazar Abrahams

As protests rage throughout our city’s college campuses, a poignant reminder of how the ongoing war in Gaza began is now on view in Downtown Manhattan’s financial district. Right on Wall Street, “The Nova Music Festival Exhibition: October 7th 06:29am – The Moment Music Stood Still” presents visitors with a somber look into the tragic events that transpired at that fateful rave in southern Israel six months ago.

The expansive warehouse space does an incredible job bringing attendees back to the wee hours of the morning when Hamas’ unprecedented terrorist attack brought the joyous Nova Festival to a halt, and left devastation in its wake, with over 400 killed and 40 hostages taken.

Visitors are immediately greeted by a chilling reconstruction of the festival grounds. Burnt-out cars, tents, and bullet-ridden portable restrooms are placed throughout the hallways, with audio and videos of the horrors that unfolded consuming every nook and cranny of the floor. It’s completely chilling and very intense, but absolutely necessary that every New Yorker visits the new “museum.” It paints the current conflict not as Israeli vs. Palestinian or Arabs vs. Jews, but as the world vs. pure evil, a terrorist group that raped and slaughtered innocents just for the sake of bloodlust.

The organizers, including famed music executive Scooter Braun, bring this experience straight from a stint in Tel Aviv and have brought along the actual remnants of the massacre. Nearly everything on display is taken directly from the Nova Festival, including the actual sand on the floor. The “Lost & Found” section is especially harrowing, showcasing personal items left behind by the victims, grounding the walkthrough in the reality of the lives lost.

The connection to the events of September 11, 2001, resonates deeply, given the exhibit’s proximity to the site of the World Trade Center. This shared history of tragedy between New York City and Israel underscores the resilience and unity that emerge from such dark moments in both communities. The exhibit serves as a reminder of the enduring impact of terrorism and the shared grief experienced across the world.

And just as New York rebuilt itself in the wake of that tragic day, so too will the Jewish state. The exhibition concludes with a bright open space designed as a healing center and a purple neon sign that leaves you with the message: “We Will Dance Again.”

Find tickets and more information HERE.