On Friday evening, October 6, 2023, the young women serving as surveillance soldiers and operations room sergeants at the Nahal Oz outpost did what they always did to make the base feel like home.
They gathered for “Tea Time” – their cherished Friday ritual.
Surrounded by laughter and a festive spread, they pulled out a special booklet filled with lyrics they had written themselves, singing together in a shared chorus of friendship and hope.
Hours later, the dawn of October 7 broke, and everything changed forever.
In the devastating Hamas assault that followed, many of these young women were murdered in the line of duty; others were violently abducted into the Gaza Strip. The outpost was left in ruins.
Soldiers' songbook found in the wreckage
Yet, amidst the soot, ash, and devastation, soldiers scouring the wreckage found an unexpected fragile miracle: the girls’ beloved songbook.
Though blackened by smoke, the pages remained entirely intact, preserving the exact words and melodies the soldiers had sung just hours before the attack.
“Our daughters did not survive, but their songbook survived the Hamas attack completely intact,” their parents shared.
Now, three years later, a group of grieving yet resilient mothers is refusing to let that music fall silent. In a deeply moving tribute born from the ashes of tragedy, the families are reviving their daughters’ Friday tradition.
On October 23, the Tel Aviv Port will host a special musical commemoration event titled “Tea Time,” where the world will hear the words written by the fallen soldiers.
Breathe new life into sacred lyrics
To give these sacred lyrics a new life, two of Israel’s most prominent musical voices, Noa Kirel and Jasmin Moallem, will take the stage to perform songs directly from the blackened songbook, lending their voices to the young women who can no longer sing them.
For the mothers organizing the event, “Tea Time” is a conscious choice to remember their daughters not by the horrific circumstances of their deaths, but by the vibrant beauty of their lives.
The evening will celebrate the unbreakable bonds the girls forged, their private jokes, their creative spirits, and the unique humor that sustained them during their intense military service.
Alongside the musical performances, the festival grounds will feature live art installations and graffiti, honoring the creative passions the soldiers loved most.
For more, visit www.kupat.co.il/tea_time_festival