On October 7, like all residents in Israeli towns on the periphery of Gaza, Oz Davidian and his family were woken in their home of Moshav Maslul by the first air raid sirens early in the morning. They immediately went into the apartment’s protected space, but quickly realized what was happening was not just standard rockets being fired. Then Oz received a warning message from his brother-in-law who lived on a farm adjacent to the Noval Music Festival near Re’im reading “tons of wounded kids here. Who can help?”
Leaving his apartment and safety, Oz headed to the rave grounds. When he arrived, he could not believe his eyes, never imagining the extent of the horrors he would come across there.
Oz immediately began collecting wounded survivors into his car and quickly realized he would need to rely on his intuition and lifelong familiarity with the region to get those he was trying to rescue out of the ongoing hell.
Oz escaped on winding dirt paths, navigating the roads as bullets whistled around him and terrorists shot at him nonstop. Returning fire with his own gun and a rifle that he had taken off a terrorist, he also ran some of them down with his vehicle: anything to bring these young people, who shortly beforehand had been partying, to safe haven.
When Oz finally reached his sister’s home in the adjacent Moshav Patish, he realized that he couldn’t leave the rest of the young people behind when he had the ability to help them. So he returned. He bravely made the trip 15 times, from Patish to the rave site and back, saving some 120 people on that horrific Shabbat. Oz risked his life time and time again, but thankfully, eventually made it home, alive and well, to his wife and four daughters, the youngest being just two years old.
The festival survivors saved by Oz are now receiving assistance from The Jewish Agency’s Fund for Victims of Terror (FVOT) as they recover. The FVOT, often the first responder for families and individuals impacted by terror, distributes immediate grants within 24-48 hours of a direct attack, offering support for short-term needs and helping with long-term rehabilitation and post-trauma care. The Fund is made possible by the generosity of the Jewish Federations of North America / United Israel Appeal, Keren Hayesod, foundations and donors worldwide and people like you. Our aid is critical for victims’ immediate well-being and long-term recovery and we are currently operating and supporting more victims on a wider scale than ever before. To support the Fund, donate here.
