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The VR exhibits, developed by Stephen Smith, former director of Steven Spielberg’s USC Shoah Foundation, allow visitors to hear first-person accounts.
By Shula Rosen
A new education center in Sderot is using technology and survivor testimony to bring the events of October 7, 2023, to life for visitors from Israel and abroad.
Through recorded phone calls, virtual reality encounters and documentary footage, the October 7 Education Center immerses audiences in the terror, heroism and human cost of the Hamas attack that claimed the lives of 1,200 people and left more than 250 abducted.
The VR exhibits, developed by Stephen Smith, the former director of Steven Spielberg’s USC Shoah Foundation, allow visitors to hear first-person accounts.
One survivor, Mazal Tazazo, recounts how she was beaten and left for dead at the festival while her friends were killed. Another, Bedouin police detective Remo Salman Elhozyel, describes rescuing dozens of terrified partygoers while under fire. Both now serve as ambassadors for ISRAEL-is, the organization running the center.
Located in a municipal building across from a hill overlooking Gaza, the Sderot center combines multimedia displays, soundscapes and virtual reality technology.
Visitors begin with a panoramic view of the border—just 750 meters away—before entering rooms lined with screens depicting timelines, survivor accounts, and the military and civilian response to the attack.
One installation uses immersive sound and imagery to reconstruct the sequence of events at the Supernova music festival, where 364 people were murdered and 44 taken hostage.
Founded in 2017, ISRAEL-is trains young Israelis to share personal stories abroad to humanize Israel’s image on campuses and social media.
CEO Yotam Ivry told The Times of Israel that the goal is connection: “We show that the situation is more complex than what they see online.”
The center has welcomed thousands of visitors since opening in April, aiming for 40,000 annually and expanding its outreach worldwide through virtual reality programs.
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