On the eve of Yom Kippur, as Israelis prepared for the Day of Atonement, hundreds of ZAKA volunteers gathered for an emotional and moving ceremony. The volunteers returned to the Re’im parking lot—the site of the Nova music festival that became a symbol of profound pain and shared fate, and where they worked for days and nights in sacred work with infinite devotion.
Singer Haim Israel joined the volunteers, leading the Selichot prayers with a trembling voice. At the place where they worked during the hardest months and confronted the most difficult sights, they now stood together wrapped in prayer shawls, breaking into tears saturated with pain and longing.
The charged ceremony became a symbol of Jewish strength, unity, and hope. From the tears and difficult memories rose quiet prayers in memory of those murdered, alongside a cry for forgiveness, healing, and deep comfort for all of Israel, with hope for a year of peace and good tidings.