Brief
Oct. 7 festival survivor Rom El‑Hai describes ongoing joblessness and PTSD
The survivor of the Nova music festival near Gaza says the trauma of Oct. 7 still prevents him from rebuilding his life.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Rom El‑Hai, a 32‑year‑old survivor of the Nova music festival attack near the Gaza border on Oct. 7, 2023, told the New York Post that three years later he remains unemployed, isolated and plagued by intense PTSD and depression.
What happened
El‑Hai recounted that during the hours of the Hamas assault he fled the blood‑soaked festival, hid in a forest brush, evaded gunfire and witnessed terrorists celebrating before reaching safety in a nearby village. Of the two friends who survived with him, only one has returned to work.
What the reports add
The Post notes that El‑Hai had planned to study insurance and had a steady job, a girlfriend and a social life before the attack. He now says he has lost his job, his girlfriend and many friends, and that the “PTSD and depression are very intense.” He also blames “bad actors demonizing the Jewish state and rewriting the bloody massacre” for worsening his suffering, adding that the ongoing multi‑front war in Israel compounds his sense of hopelessness.
What was said
El‑Hai told the Post, “I was a regular guy before. I would go to work every day, I had a girlfriend, and occasionally I would go to a festival. Life was normal — I liked my life. Now I’m alone — I lost my job, lost my girlfriend, lost friends … The PTSD and depression are very intense.” He added, “People think, ‘OK, you survived, you’ll go back to life,’ everything changed, and I’m learning how to live with that.”
How it came about
The Nova music festival attack was part of the broader Oct. 7 Hamas massacre that killed over 1,400 Israelis and sparked a prolonged conflict. Felo News previously covered the lasting psychological impact on survivors in a series of articles on post‑conflict trauma, linking personal testimonies like El‑Hai’s to wider mental‑health challenges in Israel.
Key facts
- Rom El‑Hai survived the Oct. 7 Nova music festival attack near the Gaza border. (nypost.com)
- He is now unemployed, single and suffers from severe PTSD and depression. (nypost.com)
- El‑Hai says the ongoing war and hostile narratives worsen his trauma. (nypost.com)
Sources
- [1] nypost.com — originally reported as “Trauma for Oct. 7 survivors and their families endures: ‘It’s never going to go back to normal — for anybody’”
