Gesturing in the air to reference the hectic current events of the last few years has become too commonplace. And seeing posts about everything going on in the world is so overwhelming. It demands a way to process our thoughts and feelings in person. To get more context about what’s happening in Israel and the Middle East, I went to the Nova Exhibition in Toronto.
The Nova Exhibition drew a huge crowd on Sunday. You wouldn’t have known it was Father’s Day by looking at the lineup. As I waited to go through security, I felt like everyone understood the assignment in terms of the unofficial dress code: black, neutrals and blue denim.
When I saw the sand-covered ground inside, I thought about the visitors who wore sandals. Their choice in footwear would slightly alter their experience as they looked at artifacts from the original outdoor music festival.
While walking around, I had the same feeling I had on my Birthright Israel trip. Despite being so far away from home on my first trip outside North America, the distance wasn’t noticeable. Similarly, the Nova Exhibition makes you feel like the music festival happened close to home instead of another continent.
There’s been so much antisemitism lately necessitating metal detectors at community events, but I felt very safe at the Nova Exhibition. There really was a unique, somber vibe as people came together to learn and reflect.
The Nova Exhibition recreated the bar area that was at the music festival. As I approached it, I was struck by how Coca-Cola is usually associated with happy moments, except in this case. The juxtaposition stood out while carrying a Coca-Cola coin purse I recently purchased at the Coca-Cola store in Disney Springs. At the Nova Exhibition, the brand sadly serves as a reminder of how concertgoers tried to hide in the bar when the massacre started.
My visit to the Nova Exhibition concluded in a very special way with a live testimony from Noa Argamani. Noa was kidnapped and held hostage by Hamas for 245 days until she was rescued a year ago in June 2024. Time Magazine recognized her as one of the 100 most influential people of 2025.
Noa shared personal anecdotes from her experience, such as staying busy by expressing herself through drawings with pencil and paper. Her perspective on how a horrible experience led to her becoming a public figure really stood out. In captivity, “I didn’t know people knew my face so well,” she said. “People are listening to me and being moved by sharing my story…but my life is in the same place. I didn’t choose to be a premiere face, but I got a mission” to advocate for the hostages.
Finally, Noa wrapped up her speech by saying “I’m not the only ambassador over here, you’re all ambassadors”. That truly sums up the value of visiting the Nova Exhibition. It affects us all and everyone will notice different details worth sharing.
The Nova Exhibition will be in Toronto until June 22 and it’s also on display in Washington, D.C.
