The Re'im Memorial Site (Nova)
Not long after the massacre, the festival grounds in Re'im Forest became an improvised memorial site. Families of those murdered placed memorial stones, signs and monuments, with each family choosing how best to commemorate their loved ones. Out of great sensitivity to the families, KKL-JNF allowed them to commemorate their loved ones as they wished.
The site soon became a pilgrimage destination for visitors from Israel and abroad, and the area struggled to accommodate the growing number of visitors.
Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael–Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF) undertook the necessary work to upgrade and maintain the site. In coordination with representatives of the bereaved families, KKL-JNF organized the site, paved an accessible path and access roads, installed uniform signage throughout the site, prepared parking areas, and added restrooms, drinking-water stations and seating areas. KKL-JNF also planted additional trees in the nearby Re'im Grove in memory of those who were murdered, and maintains a permanent staff responsible for managing and maintaining the site.
The Re'im Memorial Site covers 17 acres and includes installations related to the Nova festival as well as thousands of memorial works.
Photo:Jacob Shkolnik, KKL-JNF Archive
The Memorial Site Walking Trail
An approximately 600-meter accessible circular trail passes between the site's main points of interest. To the south is Re'im Grove, where the families of those murdered placed personal memorial signs for their loved ones. They later planted trees in the grove in 2024.
Just south of the parking area, outside the accessible trail, is the “Gamma South” bomb shelter.
The trail begins at an entrance sign next to three flagpoles. To the right, among the eucalyptus trees, are large memorial signs. To the left, where smaller memorial signs are displayed, was the festival's main dance floor.
The next stop, reached via a branch of the main trail, tells the story of the ambulance. From there, visitors return to the main trail and reach the main stage.
The trail then continues to the “Anemones Before the Rain” installation and to the site where the police command post stood. The trail curves left toward the yellow garbage container and ends at the Little Bar.
Photo:Jacob Shkolnik, KKL-JNF Archive
Main Points of Interest at the Memorial Site
Gamma South Bomb Shelter
This bomb shelter was located near the Gamma Junction, close to Re'im Camp. It was one of ten so-called “death shelters,” where dozens of Nova festival participants sought refuge. The terrorists discovered them and murdered most of those hiding there.
The Eucalyptus Grove
Festival participants set up their sleeping tents in the eucalyptus grove. Today, large memorial signs commemorate festival-goers who managed to escape the festival grounds for a brief time but were later caught by the terrorists at the death shelters and along Route 232.
The signs display photographs of those murdered and information about their lives and personalities. The families of those killed have added memorial benches and other commemorative items.
The Main Dance Floor
The paved trail runs alongside the main dance floor, which is covered with memorial signs commemorating those who were murdered. At the center of the area stands a large display – the “Collage” – featuring photographs of all those who were killed.
The Death Ambulance
During the festival, an ambulance stood near the tents. When terrorists disguised as IDF soldiers raided the Nova festival grounds, they found 20 young men and women hiding inside and underneath the ambulance.
They attacked the ambulance with grenades and RPG fire. The ambulance caught fire, killing 18 of those inside. Two women escaped from the ambulance at the last moment. The process of identifying the bodies from the ambulance was completed approximately six months later.
Memorial signs at the site tell the stories of those who were murdered.
Anemones Before the Rain
At the edge of the main dance floor stands an impressive installation featuring thousands of small ceramic sculptures of red anemones arranged in the shape of a Star of David.
The anemones symbolize the young victims of the Nova festival, who were cut down before their time. The installation evokes the carpets of anemones that characterize Be'eri Forest.
The project was a collaborative effort involving hundreds of ceramic artists, who opened their studios to public workshops. Small anemone sculptures are displayed at locations throughout Israel and among Jewish communities abroad.
Police Command Post
When the shooting began, dozens of festival-goers fled to a small structure that served as a police command post. Two female police officers were there at the time.
As the shooting approached the building and shouts of “Allahu Akbar” were heard, Senior Staff Sergeant Debi Abraham instructed the festival participants to leave the command post and seek shelter elsewhere.
A memorial wall at the police command post commemorates 20 police officers – men and women – who were killed fighting the terrorists.
The Garbage Containers
Two large yellow garbage containers stood at the festival site. For four hours, 17 festival participants hid inside one of the containers, while others hid outside it.
At 9:20 a.m., terrorists disguised as IDF soldiers reached the container and massacred young people hiding outside. Most were killed while attempting to flee.
Meanwhile, those hiding inside the container remained concealed beneath garbage bags and tried to call for help using their mobile phones, while hearing the gunfire and cries of those being murdered around them.
At 11:47 a.m., a terrorist discovered them, entered the container and fired indiscriminately, killing nine of those hiding inside. Shortly afterward, an improvised rescue force reached the site and evacuated the wounded under fire.
The Little Bar at the Mushroom Festival Site
The Little Bar was the center of the “Mushroom Project” festival. It was a relatively small area compared with the main festival and was therefore known as the “Little Bar” or “Small Stage.”
Festival participants tried to hide among the nine refrigerators at the site, hoping that the army was nearby and would come to protect them. Two managed to escape and survive. Everyone else was murdered.
Re'im Recreation Area
Re'im Recreation Area is located approximately half a kilometer northeast of the Re'im Memorial Site, alongside the road leading to the memorial site.
Visitors to the memorial site can stop here for a picnic in nature and set out on walks in the surrounding area.
The “Water Installations Route” begins at the recreation area and heads north. The approximately four-kilometer route crosses the Gerar Stream and passes ancient water cisterns and wells, accompanied by informational signs installed by KKL-JNF.
The route reaches Be'eri Forest, a large forest covering approximately 2,965 acres.
Photo:Jacob Shkolnik, KKL-JNF Archive
Be'eri Forest
The forest is named after Kibbutz Be'eri, which was established on KKL-JNF land in 1946 as part of the “11 Points” operation in the Negev. The kibbutz's founders planted the first trees in the forest. The security building and water tower that served the original kibbutz before it moved to its permanent location remain from those early days.
Most of the trees in the forest were planted during the 1960s. Since then, the forest has become a popular destination for visitors who enjoy its natural and historic sites, cycling trails, and the recreation areas developed by KKL-JNF. The forest is renowned for its spectacular carpets of blooming anemones, which cover the landscape in vivid red from late January through late February.
Be'eri Forest is home to a number of historic sites, including the ANZAC Memorial, commemorating the Australian and New Zealand mounted troops who participated in the conquest of Beersheba and the Land of Israel during World War I; a historic sulfur mine; Mandate-era army bunkers built in preparation for a German invasion during World War II; a memorial to the Jews of Baghdad who perished in the Farhud pogrom; and a memorial to those who fell in the Yom Kippur War.
In October 2025, KKL-JNF inaugurated the “Iron Swords Forest” in the southern part of Be'eri Forest. The forest commemorates the victims and fallen soldiers who lost their lives from October 7, 2023 onward. The first trees in the forest were planted by the families of those who fell, in cooperation with the Families, Commemoration and Heritage Division of the Ministry of Defense, the National Insurance Institute's Hostile Acts Casualties Division, and security forces.
Photo:Jacob Shkolnik, KKL-JNF Archive