Bereaved families who lost their loved ones at the music festival massacre at Re’im returned to the site of the tragedy. There, together with the staff of Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF), they planted new trees in memory of the 364 victims, most of whom were murdered on the cusp of adulthood.

Among the bereaved families participating were Ricarda Louk, the mother of Shani Louk, a festival goer who was murdered and taken back to Gaza as a trophy; Yona Adam, the mother of Mapal Adam, who was murdered while hiding under a truck; Yoram Yehudai, the father of Ron Yehudai, who was murdered while hiding inside a container with 14 other people, and Sharon Graziani, the sister of Ma’or Graziani, age 22, who was murdered on the festival grounds.

To recap, on Saturday Oct. 7th at 6:22, air raid sirens were sounded at the festival site. A few minutes later, the decision was made to close the festival, and police began evacuating the large crowd from the venue. Meanwhile, Hamas terrorists had penetrated Israeli territory. The terrorists reached the festival site in vans and paragliding gear, where they proceeded to mow down festival goers using Kalashnikovs, RPG rockets, and hand grenades. The terrorists had blocked the main escape routes, and 364 people were killed. The area was destroyed and set on fire, causing extensive damage. Now, KKL-JNF is working to rehabilitate the Re’im Recreation Area, and other destroyed areas of the Gaza Envelope.

In her address at the ceremony, KKL-JNF Chairwoman Ifat Ovadia Lusky said: “On October 7, the State of Israel experienced one of its darkest days since its establishment. The Re’im Campground, which was a vibrant place with hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, turned into the scene of a terrible massacre. The pain of the grieving families is the pain of the entire Israeli people, and we stand with them all the way. The history of the People of Israel is not just a history of tragedy but also of resilience. On Tu B’Shvat, we convey a message of renewal and hope; we will rise from the ashes and grow new life at Re’im and all over Israel. In every generation, they rise up to destroy us, but this time, too, we shall pick ourselves up and cultivate life anew. All KKL-JNF personnel have enlisted in this national mission, and KKL-JNF will be at the forefront of making life bloom here. Together, we shall overcome.”

Merav and Doron Madar, who came to plant a tree in memory of their son Shahak Yosef Madar, 26, said: “Everything is possible. Shahak is a brother to five other siblings and a student at Ben Gurion University studying hospitality and tourism management. He was an outstanding pupil, and a fighter in the Nahal Brigade. Today, we came to plant a tree in his memory, so that it will flourish and grow, and just like he was full of life, love, light, and joy, so too we hope to see this tree strong and blooming, taking root in the ground. Twelve years ago, we adopted two children of Doron’s sister, and since then, we have been a close family, and we are all connected.”

Nurit Shalom, whose son Ram was murdered at the festival, said: “My beloved son Ram was murdered in the festival on October 7, a child who loved life, loved every person, and was cheerful. We had returned from the United States two days before the festival, and he told me that he had been to a music festival called ‘Nova’ in the United States, and that a similar one is happening Israel, and he is going there; but he did not return. Today I have come to the ceremony to plant a eucalyptus seedling in his memory through KKL – JNF, who conducted a tribute that was spine-tingling and moving to the point of tears. Bravo to KKL-JNF for the amazing initiative and tribute; I have no words to thank them.”