Survivor Testimonies from the October 7 Attack
What’s happening
Paris becomes a platform where three Israeli survivors of the October 7 assault at a festival tell their harrowing tales. Recounting the violence and their escapes, Michal Ohana, Yuval Vacknin, and Itay Razumenko paint a vivid picture of terror and resilience against the brutal Hamas attack during the #NOVA documentary screening at Majestic Passy cinema in Paris on January 16, 2024.
Why it matters
The event marks a potent act of bearing witness, providing personal insight into the attacks through the survivors’ stories. Documenting the Nova festival massacre from the perspectives of those who lived through it gives the audience an intimate understanding of the ordeal that those at the festival had to endure.
Survivors’ recall that day
Michal details her visit to Israel and how joy turned to chaos when missile fire interrupted the party. The attendees never predicted the full scale of danger that loomed, with attacks escalating and survivors having to make life-or-death choices, leaving vehicles amidst gunfire, and finding refuge wherever possible.
Aftermath and recovery
Michal’s narrative extends to moments hiding under a tank despite injury from gunfire and ricochets, awaiting rescue. The emotional aftermath, including hospitalization and retreats for healing, underlines the extended journey survivors must endure. The ordeal left Michal feeling adrift, a sentiment she tries to overcome while a psychologist supports their recovery during their time in Paris.
Shared burden and resilience
The trauma cemented an unspoken bond among the survivors, leading them to support one another like a family. Their vocal recounting during this short trip is therapeutic—a cathartic experience, even amidst the political salience of their accounts in meetings with officials like Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo and French National Assembly President Yael Braun-Pivet.
Lessons from terror
Yuval reflects on not only her menacing escape from Nova festival’s siege but also her ordeal at kibbutz Zikim. Recollecting a narrow escape as terrorists assailed following vehicles and blocking roads—her boyfriend’s steadiness amidst her own terror. Returning to Zikim brought relief but underscored the penetrating dread when she witnessed more gore and a kibbutz in peril.
The larger picture
These narratives interlaced with the #NOVA documentary form a poignant taped mosaic of young lives snared by conflict. Their stories, compellingly tied to the place and events of October 7, enrich Parisians and international viewers not simply with news but with an impassioned understanding through the eyes who stared back at despair—and moved past it.
This story was first published on jpost.com.