As doubts about what occurred on Oct. 7 in southern Israel proceed to swirl, individuals within the Jewish group in Israel say the shortage of perception about their tales and what they’ve skilled has been including to the collective ache and trauma they’ve suffered and are nonetheless struggling to this present day.
Noam Ben David, 27, an artist and a survivor of the Supernova music pageant terror assault on Oct. 7, 2023, stated in a telephone interview, “Israelis are crying about how individuals will not imagine the tales. All of Israel is crying about that.”
Chatting with Fox Information Digital, the Israel-based Ben David recounted her beautiful story of survival — and the way she remembered having a foreboding feeling earlier than her boyfriend, David Newman, 25, picked her up at 1:30 a.m. that day to go to the Supernova music pageant within the Negev desert in Israel, about three miles from the Gaza-Israel barrier.
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It was Oct. 7, the celebratory vacation of Simchat Torah, which additionally fell on Shabbat, a day of relaxation.
On that day, Jewish individuals begin to learn the Torah from the start. But Oct. 7, 2023, as a lot of the world already is aware of, became one of many darkest days in Jewish historical past.
At 2:30 a.m., the younger couple arrived on the pageant. Newman, who managed venues in Tel Aviv, helped his artist girlfriend arrange to attract on the occasion, she instructed Fox Information Digital. She recollects even in the present day how completely satisfied she felt to be dancing to the music with him.
Noam Ben David is pictured together with her boyfriend, David Newman — who was murdered on Oct. 7, 2023, by Hamas terrorists on the Supernova music pageant in southern Israel that the couple attended collectively. She instructed Fox Information Digital she beloved his “kindhearted nature,” which drew individuals to him. (Noam Ben David)
They’d been relationship for a bit of over a yr. She was in love together with his kindhearted and fun-loving nature, which attracted individuals to him, she stated.
They’d just lately returned to Israel after touring for over three months all through Southeast Asia, they usually acknowledged acquainted faces from their journey within the crowd. Ben David stated the ambiance was “like one large household and good power.”
At round 6 a.m., the couple headed towards an even bigger stage to bop with their associates.
She stated the great thing about the occasion that morning was mirrored within the dawn.
She thought she heard fireworks — however the thunderous claps have been bombs.
“It is the proper time… Everyone seems to be glowing from the solar, every little thing is fairly. It was simply the most effective feeling ever.”
When she walked over to get her sun shades from her bag, a good friend of hers instructed her to lookup on the sky. She thought she heard fireworks — however the thunderous claps have been bombs.
Somebody screamed to cease the music and “simply run.”
The couple obtained into Newman’s automotive, however there was an excessive amount of site visitors, she stated — so he pulled over. He obtained some water for her and laid one thing down subsequent to a tree for her to sit down on, and she or he started singing a music to him about fireworks.
David Newman and Noam Ben David had been relationship for a bit of over a yr when the fear assaults of Oct. 7 occurred. (Noam Ben David)
“At the moment, it was humorous,” she stated, “and I wanted to have a bit of little bit of humor to calm myself. We didn’t notice what occurred on the time. We stated, ‘OK, it may be like each time — it is a few bombs, after which the military’s going to come back.'”
She added, “We didn’t notice that it was going to be precise warfare — and that there have been really Hamas individuals with weapons.”
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A couple of minutes later, a person got here operating towards them, shouting at them to run.
Terrorists have been capturing at individuals who have been caught in site visitors, they usually heard the sharp blast of computerized gunfire. Folks began fleeing from their vehicles and operating towards an open area.
‘Historical past repeats itself’
On that day of Oct. 7, Hamas terrorists descended on the location of the Supernova music pageant and raped, murdered and burned alive 364 civilians in attendance, most of whom have been below age 30.
About 40 individuals of the roughly 4,000 attendees have been kidnapped and brought to Gaza. Some 1,200 individuals have been killed in Israel that day, and about 130 of the over 240 individuals who have been kidnapped are nonetheless in Gaza.
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Whereas there’s denial in regards to the tragic occasions of Oct. 7, a latest YouGov/Economist ballot additionally discovered that some 20% of People ages 19 to 29 imagine that “the Holocaust is a fantasy,” and over 20% suppose it was exaggerated.
“David took my hand so we might run sooner.”
Sheryl Silver Ochoyan, challenge director of Echoes & Reflections at Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Middle in Jerusalem, has seen the parallels.
“The Holocaust is the most effective documented case of genocide that has ever occurred on the planet — the Germans stored a whole lot of data. Historical past simply repeats itself,” she added.
And “those that commit genocide at all times deny it.”
Destroyed vehicles and private results are nonetheless left scattered across the Supernova Music Competition website, the place a whole bunch have been killed and dozens taken by Hamas terrorists close to the border with Gaza, on Oct. 13, 2023 in Kibbutz Re’im, Israel. The assault prompted a declaration of warfare by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Pictures)
With Hamas terrorists all over the place on the morning of Oct. 7, Noam Ben David stated she noticed individuals dropping to the bottom after they have been shot.
“David took my hand so we might run sooner, after which I fell on my face,” she instructed Fox Information Digital.
“He laid down with me, and he instructed me, ‘It is OK, simply breathe, and everytime you really feel proper, we’ll stand up after which run. Simply settle down and it is OK.”
She stated she instructed herself, “‘I am not going to surrender if he isn’t going to surrender on me, and he is cheering me up. I have to cheer myself up and stand up.’ So I obtained up and we ran.”
They discovered an space the place two big metallic trash containers have been situated, each open on high. Close by, grenades and bombs have been going off incessantly.
“I am not going to surrender if he isn’t going to surrender on me.”
Ben David stated she instructed her boyfriend, “We’ll get within a type of trash containers. I am not going to remain exterior — we will die.”
Folks have been already hiding inside each the containers and Ben David stated she instinctively felt they need to get into the container on the left.
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(At a later level, terrorists threw a grenade excessive of the opposite container, and everybody inside was killed. Stated Ben David, “It was a miracle that we didn’t get into that one.”)
‘Actually scared’
For over 4 hours, the couple stayed within the container with 16 different individuals. They stored their heads down, attempting to be as silent and inconspicuous as attainable.
By means of a crack within the door, Ben David stated she noticed Hamas terrorists with weapons screaming in Arabic exterior.
“It is a query about dying or staying alive,” she instructed Fox Information Digital. “I used to be actually nervous, and David was on a regular basis holding my leg, and shifting his hand to calm me down. I used to be actually scared.”
She despatched their location to her sister — and shortly earlier than his personal battery ran out, Newman texted a good friend of his within the military to ship assist.
A scene from contained in the trash container the place Noam Ben David, her boyfriend David Newman, and lots of different individuals hid from Hamas terrorists for so long as they might on Oct. 7, 2023. (Noam Ben David)
She stated she recalled that “at one level, a woman raised her head up, and screamed, ‘They noticed me!’”
She stated David “took me together with his hand, and he pushed me extra contained in the container so I might conceal contained in the trash baggage.”
Ketchup spilled out onto her head, she stated, and folks have been mendacity on high of her. She might really feel the reverberations from the gunfire because the terrorists drew nearer.
Nonetheless, her boyfriend was retaining guard and attempting to calm everybody down. He assured her that the IDF could be there in quarter-hour to assist them.
“I needed to stand up and assist David, however I knew if I obtained up I’d be lifeless.”
All of the sudden, the terrorists have been there. They stormed into the container.
“I heard a shout, after which I heard ‘Allahu Akbar!’ after which I heard the primary shot. I heard David attempt to breathe. I might hear his final breath. Then I heard a bunch of computerized photographs all over the place… I used to be praying [in Hebrew], “Please, God, hear me.”
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She added, “I needed to stand up and assist David, however I knew if I obtained up I’d be lifeless.”
All of the sudden, the younger artist stated she felt “the worst ache ever. I can really feel it in my head. I can really feel it in my bones. I obtained shot on the left facet of my hip.” Luckily, the bullet that hit her didn’t stay lodged in her physique.
She now realized that virtually everybody round her had been killed, together with a woman who lay immobile beside her. Some individuals had been shot a number of occasions.
In shock and refusing to simply accept that her boyfriend had been killed, Ben David stated, “I raised my head and I screamed to David. I screamed. I begged him to reply me, and he didn’t.”
Somebody instructed her that he had been shot within the chest.
‘Vibrant, like a lightweight’
Two IDF troopers now entered the container with weapons — she acknowledged them. Bleeding, she referred to as out to them because the adrenaline racing by means of her numbed a number of the ache, she stated.
She was moved as much as the entrance of the container, the place she noticed her boyfriend.
“Despite the fact that he was lifeless, it was essentially the most lovely factor I ever noticed,” she stated about David. “It was like an angel… He had this halo. It was shiny, like a lightweight.”
Noam Ben David and David Newman. “I’ll dance once more, and I’ll dance for David,” survivor Ben David instructed Fox Information Digital. (Noam Ben David)
Newman’s textual content to his good friend, which supplied their location, saved many lives, Ben David believes.
Exterior the container, IDF troopers laid her down on the sector with the opposite individuals who have been injured, as photographs have been nonetheless being fired. The troopers needed to struggle off terrorists whereas they drove her to a military unit.
Ever since that horrible day, Ben David has undergone two surgical procedures. She was handled on the Beit Loewenstein rehabilitative middle in Ra’anana, Israel, she stated.
She looks like her one real love remains to be together with her, teaching her by means of the ache.
She additionally just lately began strolling utilizing crutches after having been in a wheelchair for a number of months.
She is hoping to make a full restoration, she stated.
“I’ll dance once more, and I’ll dance for David,” she instructed Fox Information Digital.
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“I used to be in heaven, and hell got here and adjusted every little thing about my life, about Israel, about everybody’s lives. That is the man I used to be alleged to get married to and have kids with.”
She stated she looks like her beloved remains to be together with her, teaching her by means of the ache.
‘Murdered as a result of he was Jewish’
David Newman’s siblings shared poignant ideas and heartbreaking remembrances of their brother who was taken from them.
Youthful brother Dvir Newman, age 23, described David as his finest good friend and “actually an angel,” somebody who at all times went out of his technique to console different individuals in misery.
Noah Newman, 30, David’s older brother, talked about how a lot his brother beloved life.
David Newman (middle) together with his 4 siblings. From left to proper, Gavriel Newman, Noah Newman, David Newman, Dvir Newman and Batya Newman-Sprei. The picture was taken in Moshav Ora in Israel, June 18, 2023. (Batya Newman-Sprei)
“He was the happiest individual you would meet. You would put him in a quiet room all by himself, and also you’d discover him dancing.”
Noah Newman additionally stated David prolonged kindness to everybody. “He was a really actual and sincere individual. He hated when individuals would gossip or speak behind individuals’s backs.”
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David’s sister, Batya Newman-Sprei, 31, stated her brother fought to be transferred to a fight unit when he served within the IDF from 2017 to 2020. “He was completely satisfied to do it,” she stated.
She stated that the siblings’ lack of their mom to most cancers over seven years in the past made them extraordinarily shut as siblings. “When David obtained murdered, it was even tougher than then it will usually be,” she stated.
“He risked his life. He stayed cool. He helped individuals the entire time.”
Jeff Seidel — whose daughter, Moriah, is married to David’s older brother, Gavriel Newman, 28 — stated David was like his personal son.
“I am embarrassed that I might need teased him and joked with him an excessive amount of,” Seidel stated. “I did not notice till now that I had a giant tzaddik [a righteous person] sitting subsequent to me.”
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He added, “He risked his life. He stayed cool. He helped individuals the entire time. Whereas [the terrorists] have been capturing, he knew how to reply to the state of affairs, whereas most individuals would in all probability get nervous and freak out.”
Seidel added, “He was murdered as a result of he was Jewish, like all people else [at] that get together.”
Though he’s nonetheless grieving, Seidel stated he is aware of that David Newman is in heaven.
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“[This is] referred to as in Hebrew a Kiddush Hashem. You have been killed for the sanctity of God.”
On Feb. 20, Jeff Seidel’s daughter Moriah — married to David’s older brother — gave beginning to a child boy.
They named him David Ori — which suggests “my mild” in Hebrew.
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