Lev Jewish Academy marks Oct. 7 anniversary with survivor's story
Nova festival survivor Chen Almog spoke to the Lawrence school community on the third anniversary of the attacks.
The Lev Jewish Academy in Lawrence, formerly Brandeis Hebrew Academy, held an evening of remembrance on the third anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks in Israel, according to the Nassau Herald. Students, parents and teachers made presentations, and the school hosted "A Conversation with Chen Almog," a survivor of the attack on the Nova Music Festival, where about 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken captive. Almog also served as a combat soldier in the Israel Defense Forces' artillery corps.
Head of School Raz Levin said the event was meant to honor the victims and to stress unity and resilience among Jews, wherever they live. Student Dvir Vider spoke about the lasting impact of the attacks on Israeli society and Jews worldwide.
Almog told the audience she arrived at the festival around 2 a.m. and that the music stopped around 6:30 a.m. as rockets filled the sky and gunfire began. She said she hid on the ground for about three hours, separated from her friend, and later drove away in a car that had sustained only minor damage. She returned to her unit for about a month and a half before an army psychiatrist found her no longer fit for service.