Oct. 7 survivor shares story in Rochester
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) – Tuesday night, News 8 sat down with a survivor from the Oct. 7 attack in Israel at the Nova Festival grounds.
That day, Rom El-Hai said his life changed forever.
He came to Rochester to share his story at the Memorial Art Gallery Tuesday night. El-Hai worked in insurance sales prior to the attacks. When it happened, he said he and his friends fled into nearby fields where they took refuge in a greenhouse which quickly became a fire trap.
He said once they officially escaped, his support system made all the difference.
Hamas frees 4 female Israeli soldiers in exchange for 200 Palestinian prisoners as ceasefire holds
'It was very helpful to see how much people want to help, want to give a hand, want to support – that's our strength as a Jewish nation in hard times,' he said. 'In hard times, no matter who you are, no matter where you come from, people want to help. They don't ask for any answers, and that's one of the reasons I'm here, to talk about it.'
The Jewish Federation of Rochester hosted Tuesday's forum, where El-Hai shared his story once again before an auditorium full of participants.
El-Hai started a fundraiser for the victims of the Nova Festival massacre. You can find more information here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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