Today our Israel Volunteer and Solidarity Mission went to visit the Nova Music Festival Memorial. This memorial was first set up in November as a way to help people heal. "In a small clearing near a eucalyptus forest, a lone disc jockey plays on his mixer board up on a stage. There are no concertgoers. His crowd is a sea of posterboard faces atop poles." (NPR 11/28/23) These faces represent those killed and taken hostage. Since November the faces have stayed and additions
have been made - personalizing the spaces even further with decorative rocks, fans, flowers, and more. A small field of bulbs has been planted and the leaves are just starting to reach up from the
earth. Keren Kayemet L'Yisrael (JNF) recently planted saplings to represent all those killed. This memorial space changes and grows as new ways to symbolize the grief come to mind, as new ways to honor those who were killed are thought of...It is such a peaceful area of lush greens and olive trees - so in contrast with the horror visited on the concert goers.
As I walked around I noticed that as the wind blew the leaves fluttered and almost tinkled in response. The Israeli flags draped from trees and hanging on poles buried in the ground fluttered with the sound of cloth rippling. Next to the new saplings, beside the markers bearing names were small yellow flags from Keren Kayemet L'Yisrael, showing the location of each new tree. The fields were just beginning to have the bright red Kalanit (poppy) flowers that will soon cover the area and the petals of these brightly colored, vibrant, but soft and fragile flowers fluttered with the breeze and even with passing footsteps. And my breath and heart fluttered as they tried to take in the enormity of loss. I felt the fear, the silence, and the hurt in a tremble in my own body, responding the fluttering all around me.
As we drove out I again looked at the mural on the side of the road as you pull into the campsite. It's has the message of Bring Them Home Now and the main image is of yarzheit candles arranged in a Magen David, but towards the top are butterflies. Seeing the butterflies in this context makes me think of transformation and breaking out of constraints to flutter freely. I hope and pray that will soon be the fate of those held in captivity.
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