The Nova Festival was meant to be a joyous sunrise celebration of music and peace near Kibbutz Re’im. Instead it became one of the darkest tragedies of October 7 2023, when Hamas terrorists brutally claimed the lives of over 1,200 people. That horrific morning sent shockwaves through the Jewish world and marked the beginning of an intensely painful and turbulent eighteen months for Israel.
Among those tragically killed at the Nova Festival were Hanani Glazer and Bruna Valeanu, both 24-year-old Olim from Brazil—young, full of promise, and united by a dream to share their light with the people of Israel. This year, Masa’s International Yom HaZikaron Ceremony will honor their lives and legacies, uniting fellows and alumni in Israel with Jewish communities around the world in a profound moment of collective mourning and remembrance.
Hanani Glazer: The Spiritual Soul Who Followed His Heart to Israel
Born in Porto Alegra to a traditional Jewish family, Hanani Glazer made Aliyah in 2016, after years of deep spiritual exploration in Brazil. Known for his introspective nature, he was described by his family and friends as deeply spiritual, thoughtful, and full of love for his heritage and people. “Hannani played the drums, the guitar, he wrote music and wanted to be a DJ”, said his father, Ronen.
In Brazil, Hanani had been involved in Jewish youth movements and found meaning in exploring Jewish philosophy and mysticism. “He was in love with the idea of Israel—not just as a country, but as a destiny,” said one family member in a Hebrew-language interview. “He didn’t just want to live here. He wanted to belong.” That is why he chose to join the army, and enlist to Golani, like his brother before him.
After settling in Tel aviv, Hanani quickly immersed himself in Israeli life. He worked, studied Hebrew, made friends, and found joy in festivals and cultural events. The Nova festival was his way of celebrating that joy—freedom, movement, and connection.
But that early October morning, the music stopped. “On October 7th in the morning I began receiving messages from friends asking about my brother”, said his older brother, Rudi. “I went to Instagram and saw that he was there, at the Gaza border”.
“Dude, I swear you can’t make this situation up. In the middle of the rave, we are in a bunker, a war started in Israel. At least we are here in the bunker, safe.” With these words (originally in Portuguese) Hannani opens his live stream from the bunker where he was hiding, not knowing what the future holds. “Man, it was like a scene from a movie”, he said.
“I felt a sense of fear in him when I was watching it. Like he was hoping this wouldn’t be the last video of his life. Unfortunately, it was”, said Ronen.
Hanani was among those who tried to escape on foot, sending brief messages before being cut off. “The desperation, hours and hours of just waiting, not knowing anything about his location or what happened to him”, shares Rudi. “Just hoping that he will send a sign soon”.
His body was identified days later. Hannani’s father, ironically, is a psychologist who specializes in grief, and worked for the city council of Haifa, as a counsel for bereaved families. So, when police officers and two social workers knocked on his door at 1AM three days after the attack, he knew what they came to tell him. And still, “the hardest part was the funeral. As they lowered him to the ground everything went dark around me”.
He was buried in Israel with hundreds in attendance—family, fellow Olim, and friends from both Brazil and Israel.
“He believed in light, in love, in God,” a friend wrote in a tribute. “He danced toward life, and he died for being alive and free.”
Bruna Valeanu: A Zionist Dreamer with Fire in Her Eyes
Bruna Valeanu, also 24, had made Aliyah in 2016 at the age of 16. Originally from Rio de Janeiro, Bruna had long felt a deep connection to Israel. Her family remembers her speaking passionately about Zionism and Jewish identity from a young age. Her friend Sharon said about Bruna: “her motto was – you only live once”.
“Her Hebrew name was Bracha, which means blessing in Hebrew. And she really was a blessing” said her sister, Florica. Bruna learned Hebrew quickly, and after completing high school, she enlisted in the Israel Defense Forces, serving as an instructor for fighters in the Tank base. She later settled in Tel Aviv, where she worked in digital marketing and enjoyed city life with friends.
“Bruna was radiant,” her sister said in a Brazilian interview. “She laughed loudly, she spoke fast, and she loved fiercely.”
Bruna had attended the Nova festival with close friends. She tried to escape during the attack, sending her last messages shortly after gunfire erupted. “Bruna did send me a message at some point, saying she thinks she is going to die”, said Sharon. Florica added: “I know that evil exists, but I couldn’t possibly imagine the magnitude of what has happened there”.
“If I could I would erase that day, it was the worst day of my life” said Florica about the day when she was told about what happened to her sister. Her body was later recovered and laid to rest in Petach Tikvah at the Yarkon cemetery, where thousands gathered to mourn a young woman who had given her heart to a country that became her home.
“We had a very special bond” said Sharon in tears. “She was the best hugger. If I had just five more minutes with her this is what I would do – just hug her really close”.
Remembering at Masa’s Ceremony: A Global Memorial
This year, Hanani and Bruna will be remembered not only by their families and local communities but by a global audience. Their stories will be featured at the Masa Israel Journey International Yom HaZikaron Ceremony, held at Latrun, the iconic armored corps memorial site.
The ceremony—that will be broadcast live on Times of Israel and conducted in English and translated into other languages —offers a space for global Jewish audiences to connect with Israel’s national day of mourning. Under the title “Together We Remember”, the ceremony will emphasize the stories of lone soldiers, victims of terror, and olim who fell in service or in attacks, reminding the world that sacrifice often comes from those who chose Israel, not just those born in it.
More than 4,500 people are expected to attend in person, with hundreds of thousands more tuning in online. Bruna and Hanani will be honored among the fallen, with testimonials from loved ones and symbolic tributes.
In a year when the pain of October 7 has altered the way Israelis grieve, the ceremony carries a unique emotional weight. “This is a new kind of Yom HaZikaron,” says a spokesperson for Masa. “We are mourning civilians, music lovers, immigrants—people who didn’t carry weapons but carried dreams.”
Legacy Through Remembrance
The loss of Hanani Glazer and Bruna Valeanu is a microcosm of the greater tragedy of October 7. But their stories also reflect something eternal—the courage to build a life in Israel, the love for Jewish peoplehood, and the belief in joy as resistance.
In Brazil, Jewish communities in São Paulo and Rio have held memorial services in their honor, bringing together young people, Rabbis, and Israeli diplomats. In Israel, friends have created online memorials, posted songs and stories, and continued to dance—for them, and because of them.
This Yom HaZikaron, as sirens sound and silence falls, thousands around the world will remember two Brazilians who dreamed in Hebrew, who danced in freedom, and who died sanctifying life.
To watch Masa’s International Yom HaZikaron Ceremony live: