Following her return to Israel, Mia Schem — who was kidnapped from the Nova music festival in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and spent 55 days in Hamas captivity — famously had the phrase “We will dance again” tattooed on her arm. 

On Thursday night, approximately 800 New Yorkers joined Schem in dancing again at the sold-out inaugural Tribe of Nova Foundation benefit held at Sony Hall, a concert venue in Times Square. The event was held with the goal of raising at least $1 million to aid families of victims and survivors of Nova, where 411 festivalgoers, mostly young people, were killed and 44 were taken hostage. 

“In Gaza, I lost my innocence,” Schem told attendees. “I brought back strength and the promise to live life, to help others and to fight with everything I have for the release of all hostages.” The event was held as 58 hostages remain captive in Gaza — about a third of whom are believed to be alive. 

The Tribe of Nova Foundation was founded two weeks after the Oct. 7 attacks by five survivors of the massacre. It quickly drew support from high-profile entertainment and business executives including music manager Scooter Braun and tech entrepreneur Joe Teplow, both of whom attended Thursday’s event. 

Ofir Amir, co-founder of the Tribe of Nova Foundation who was shot in both legs during the attack, told attendees that he went through a long period of rehabilitation and still carries “a life-long injury.” 

“The Tribe of Nova Foundation was born out of an experience that we shared, our mutual values and sensitivity to one another,” he said. “I got my life back, but forever I will carry the memories of the friends I lost and the many beautiful souls we lost that day, our tribe of angels,” said Amir. 

Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) delivered remarks at the event, saying, “Israel cannot tolerate Oct. 7 being ignored because the world’s only Jewish state cannot survive it being repeated. We in the United States, both Jews and non-Jews, have a moral obligation to stand with our ally in ensuring that the Nova massacre is never forgotten and never repeated.”

“Resilience and renewal is encoded in the Jewish DNA … there is no doubt in my mind that the Jewish people will emerge better and stronger, more unified and more resilient than ever before, and that Israel will outlive its enemies: the Houthis, Hezbollah, Hamas and the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Torres continued, drawing applause from the crowd. 

In North America, the foundation is best known for bringing the pop-up Nova Music Festival exhibition to cities including New York City, Miami and Toronto over the past year. The exhibit — an immersive experience that educates about the Oct. 7 attacks — is slated to arrive in Washington, D.C. this summer. 

In Israel, the Tribe of Nova Foundation plans to open a community center to provide services and support by the end of the year, following a $2 million donation from UJA-Federation of New York in February. The UJA New York Nova House, projected to cost nearly $3 million, will provide rehabilitation, sports, cultural activities and workforce development to those directly affected by the attacks, as well as Israel Defense Force soldiers and individuals with special needs, according to the organization. 

Attendees spotted on the dance floor included: Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League; Eli Beer, founder of United Hatzalah of Israel; Josh Kadden, CEO of the Nova Festival Exhibition; former Israeli hostage Andrey Kozlov, who had been working as a security guard at the Nova festival when he was kidnapped; Martin Hoffstein, co-founder of JAJA Spirits and singer-songwriter Jeryko.