Dan Ariel, 22: Partygoer and global traveler 'took the world by storm'

Murdered by Hamas terrorists while trying to flee the Supernova music festival on October 7

Dan Ariel, 22, from Tel Aviv, was murdered by Hamas terrorists while trying to flee the Supernova music festival on October 7.

Dan attended the rave with a large group of friends. When the attack began, he fled with two friends, Omer Ben Nun and Ron Shemer. They sought safety in a roadside bomb shelter not far from the site of the festival.

Not long after, terrorists arrived and attacked the partygoers, throwing grenades inside the structure. Dan and Omer were both wounded, and Ron ran out to try and fight back and was killed. Afterward more terrorists came by and opened fire on them again. Dan was killed, and Omer was eventually rescued.

Dan was buried in Herzliya on October 10, exactly a month before his 23rd birthday. He is survived by his parents, Meir and Talila, and his siblings Ben, Gal, Tom and Yoni.

The youngest of the five siblings, Dan was born and raised in Tel Aviv, attending local schools. After finishing high school, he enlisted in the IDF, serving in the Combat Intelligence Collection Corps. Following his release, he spent six months traveling in South and Central America and volunteering in local hostels.

He returned to Israel in July 2023, and decided that he would put off starting university for a year in order to work as a bartender and a gardener and have fun with his friends.

His older brother, Ben, told an academic publication that “we lost our little brother, our baby, the baby of the house, of the family.”

“He was always surrounded by hundreds of friends, some of whom we never even met,” he added. “He loved to party, he had a business-inclined mind. We always said that we would work and he’d be the one who’d make money in the end. He had a great sense of humor, he loved festivals and partying, he took the world by storm.”

Ben said the four older siblings were always more academically inclined, while Dan chafed at strict frameworks and expectations. “Now I want to see him as a role model, to learn from him how to approach life.”

His mother, Talila, wrote on Facebook a month after he was killed, on what would have been his 23rd birthday: “My Dan, our Dan, is 23 today. He will forever remain 22 and 11 months, there will no longer be a cake, candles and wishes for the year ahead. Time has stopped for all of us, and all that is left is huge and inexplicable pain.”

Talila wrote to “my dear son, full of joy and love for life, you just wanted to enjoy the festival, to be happy and dance, to enjoy life. You managed to travel in the world, both alone and with friends, and you collected along the way many more, including those you met for just a moment and immediately clicked with.”

“You taught us so much about hard work and dedication, uncompromising friendship and so much joy and life wisdom,” she continued. “You had so many dreams and plans that will never come true. Your special smile and your beauty remain with us forever, deep in our pained hearts.”