NORTHFIELD, Illinois (CBS) — Amit Ganish, a young woman who survived the October 7 Hamas attack on the Nova music festival last year, gave a speech at a temple in the northern suburb of Northfield on Monday night.
Ganish, a 24-year-old Israeli law student, gave a speech at Temple Jeremiah ahead of the High Holy Days.
Ganish said he hid in the bushes during the festival.
“My family knew I was alive from the TV,” Ganish said. “So the TV was filming the rescue live and I saw — I have this video and every time people see the video, I see it too, and this is not me now, and it hasn’t even been a year since I was on October 7th.”
Ganish said the October 7 attacks had a profound and lasting impact on everyone in Israel, especially since there are still hostages in Gaza.
“I think all the people in Israel, we’re not the same anymore, we’re not as happy as we used to be. No, we’re still – I still go to parties and festivals, but it’s not the same,” she said. “You don’t feel free.”
Ganish also said that the High Holidays will be very different this year, as many families will have one table empty.
“Because the terrorists just kill — not only Jews, they also killed Americans, they also killed Russians,” Ganish said. “So, we are waiting for them. It’s not the same — one of my friends, my best friends, was killed. I lost a lot of friends in this war.”
Ganish said she spoke to CNN and other broadcasters shortly after the attacks and has since toured the US to talk about her harrowing experience.
“I feel like I am the voice of many people, like more than 500 people who have killed, who have kidnapped, and I have heard all of this. I am the voice, because they cannot speak, so I will speak for them, because I have survived this,” she said. “I don’t know how, but God saved me. So I have to do it and I believe in Israel. I love Israel, I will do everything for my country.”
But Ganish says she hopes her survival can provide hope, and that she now appreciates life more because she realizes it is short.
“I know I’m stronger. I know it from a lot of people, because now I know life is short. Like I had a 0.0001 chance of getting out of there alive, and this was the chance, so now I know life can end at any moment,” she said, “and life is short, so I think I love people more… I move on more easily.”
