The Tribe of Nova: when a party turns into tragedy
Tribe of Nova, a highly anticipated psytrance music festival in Israel, was expected to mark a milestone in the country’s trance scene. Unfortunately, it became the scene of the largest attack ever perpetrated in Israel. As festival-goers prepared to celebrate love, friendship and music, Hamas launched a deadly attack that claimed the lives of nearly 260 people and kidnapped several dozen others. This atrocity plunged the trance community into deep trauma.
Einat Haimovich, psychologist and social worker, quickly set up a psychological support program to help the survivors of the festival. She and her partner, Iftach Shahar, opened a reception center where festival-goers can find comfort and support. Located in an agricultural cooperative village, the house is a simple but welcoming place, with a wooden terrace, reclaimed furniture and a room specially dedicated to meditation. It is a space open to all those who feel the need to speak, to be listened to and to receive a comforting embrace.
The trance community in Israel is deeply affected by this tragedy. According to Einat, this culture was born after the first Intifada when young people felt the need to express their free spirit, their love and their desire for peace. Despite the conflicts and the need to do their military service, they remained “hippies at heart”. The trance scene has become a real culture in Israel, with the Tribe of Nova as the flagship event. Unfortunately, this event turned into a nightmare.
The psychological support program set up by Einat and Iftach aims to help survivors overcome their trauma and return to normal life. This is not therapy per se, but rather providing a safe space where festival-goers can gather, share, cry and laugh together. The objective is to help them reconnect with their previous lives, rediscover their identity and gradually rebuild themselves.
The road to recovery will be long for these survivors, but the trance community is determined to overcome this ordeal together. Thanks to initiatives like that of Einat and Iftach, they find valuable support to avoid post-traumatic effects. Music, which was both the culmination and trigger of this tragedy, can also be a means of healing, a way of transcending pain and rediscovering the vital energy that characterizes trance culture.
The Tribe of Nova will forever be remembered by the trance community, but it’s important to remember that this culture is much more than party events. She embodies values of freedom, love and peace which are more important today than ever. Despite the horror that befell this festival, the trance community remains united and determined to face hardships, support each other and continue to spread a message of peace through music.