A memorial event titled, "Legacy of Memory and Heroism," ceremony was Sunday night at the memorial site in Tkuma, featuring over 1,500 burned and destroyed vehicles from the events of October 7th.
The ceremony, a memorial for the victims of the October 7 massacre, was initiated by the Ministry of Heritage and was attended by bereaved families. At the ceremony, tokens of appreciation were presented to organizations involved in the strenuous work of identifying the victims around the Gaza envelope.
The ceremony at the central memorial site near the Tkuma moshav in the Sdot Negev Regional Council, organized by the Ministry led by Minister Amichai Eliyahu, was held in collaboration with the Israel Government Tourist Corporation, marking one year since the Simchat Torah massacre.
One of the complex cases the teams on the ground faced was identifying Shani Gabay of blessed memory, who was murdered at the Nova party in Re'im, where she worked as a bouncer. In the days following the massacre, her body was declared missing.
Michal Gabay, Shani's mother, shared her pain during the event, saying, "Today, I am here to share my daughter's story, Shani Gabay, who was brutally murdered in the horrific attack on the 'black Shabbat,' October 7th, during the Nova festival."
"Shani was the great light in our lives. A beautiful young woman who knew how to balance life's small pleasures with a deep commitment to values. She always knew how to enjoy life while also caring for those around her. She loved going to parties, celebrating, dancing, and having fun, yet was also connected to nature and preserving nature. One of her famous sayings, which became her symbol, was: 'Life won’t be a party if you don’t celebrate without reason' — to live every moment and celebrate life as it is. On that Black Shabbat, Shani was working at the festival, then joined two friends to celebrate. That day, Shani went through hell with long minutes of fear and uncertainty, fleeing and trying to escape the shooting and destruction around her — from the bomb shelter at Alumim Junction to the police headquarters safe zone, and finally, the terrible 'death ambulance.'"
She continued, "For 47 days, we didn’t know what happened to her. Those days were filled with pain and frustration, helplessness, and attempts to grasp the enormity of the horror. Then the brave people came — ZAKA volunteers who were there on the ground when we were in total darkness. I don’t know how to express the gratitude we feel towards you for the dedication, commitment, and courage to be there when others couldn’t. My husband Yaakov was there with you in the early days; you were there for him, and you turned over every stone to find her together."
"The pain of losing Shani is unfathomable. Nothing will bring her back to us, but her legacy continues to live within us. Thanks to you, she is buried with the honor she deserves, and you allowed us to say our final goodbye to her. May Shani’s memory be blessed, may God avenge her blood, and we will continue to commemorate her in our own way, inspired by the light she was in our lives."
Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu, who could not attend the event after receiving the tragic news hours earlier of the fall of his close friend, Captain Rabbi Avraham Yosef Goldberg, said in his message: "We're standing here in the car lot. This car lot can symbolize pain, but it is also a place of heroism. Look right and left — each of these cars tells a story."
"There were people who went in and came back, who went to save their brothers and sisters, knowing they were risking their lives. People who went in and out, purely out of mutual responsibility — there's no right, no left, no religious, no secular — but brothers. And we must carry this message of brotherhood forward. The terrorists, those monsters, reminded us that we are all one family. Today, some try to make us forget this. If we do not remember what happened to us and build upon the great things of our people, we will miss the story. But you are here, the Ministry of Heritage is here, and amazing people are here so that in future generations, it will be remembered and ascended from.
"They will remember who the monsters were and who the good people were, what the people who carry the torch of light are and what darkness is. We are still in the midst of writing this legacy; the war is not over. We pray for the hostages to return, we pray for the wounded, we pray for the soldiers to prevail. May the Almighty grant them the strength to win. With God's help we will prevail. Am Yisrael Chai!"
Heritage Ministry Director General Itai Gronick added, "As a people with the memory of our ancestors' heroism embedded in our hearts, we are committed to commemorating the heroes of our own generation. Just as we have not abandoned the memory of our heritage throughout the generations, so we will not abandon the memory of those who fell in the tragedy of October 7. This memorial event connects our nation's past, present, and future, highlighting the resilience of Israeli society and our determination to move forward while preserving our eternal values and heritage."
Also in attendance were Sdot Negev Regional Council head Tamir Idan; Ministry of Heritage Director General Itai Gronick; CEO of the Israel Government Tourist Corporation Elad Arnfeld; Director General of Yad Yitzhak Ben Zvi Yaniv Mozman; and representatives from the Israel Antiquities Authority, ZAKA organization, and the special IDF Search Unit.