Bar Kupershtein, a 24-year-old former hostage, has detailed his actions during the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks at the Nova music festival, where he is credited with saving approximately 2,000 lives before being taken captive into Gaza for 738 days.

Kupershtein, then a 21-year-old security guard and medic, was working at the festival when the attack began. Instead of fleeing, he chose to stay and assist. He persuaded a security officer to open an emergency access road, diverting thousands of festivalgoers away from routes that led to areas subjected to intense Hamas assaults. Many who took other paths encountered terrorists, resulting in numerous deaths, rapes, and kidnappings. Kupershtein also used his ATV to transport injured individuals to paramedics.

He and five other armed security personnel engaged Hamas terrorists in a standoff, with four of his colleagues losing their lives. Kupershtein eventually realized he could not save everyone and needed to escape. During his attempt to flee, he witnessed intense gunfire and later heard celebratory chants after an apparent lull, indicating Hamas's continued success in their attack.

Kupershtein was taken hostage and transported to Gaza. He described being moved multiple times, eventually confined to a tunnel 50 meters underground for the remainder of his captivity. He endured harsh conditions, including beatings, threats of execution, and minimal, often unsanitary, food and water. His leg was broken during one instance of physical abuse by his captors. He was also forced to participate in Hamas propaganda videos.

A transistor radio, given to him ostensibly to study the Koran, became a lifeline. Kupershtein managed to tune it to an Israeli station, providing him with information about the outside world and the ongoing conflict. In a remarkable moment, his mother appeared on the radio, offering him hope and a connection to his family after 18 months of isolation.

He was released on October 13, 2025, as part of a ceasefire agreement, along with 19 other hostages. Upon his release, he described the overwhelming sensory experience of emerging from the tunnel into the sunlight and hearing the sounds of the outside world. His reunion with his parents was deeply emotional, particularly with his father, who rose from his wheelchair to embrace him.

Kupershtein recently shared his account at the Nova Exhibition in London, an event that displayed remnants from the festival site, including burned cars and bullet-ridden belongings. During his speech, Eden Rozner, a 28-year-old survivor whom Kupershtein had helped save, was present. Rozner recounted his own harrowing experience of fleeing the festival and realized that Kupershtein was the reason he and his friends had escaped through the emergency access road.

Another survivor, Anita Conforty, who was at the festival celebrating a friend's birthday, also spoke about the trauma of the event. She described the chaos, the realization of the escalating danger, and the frantic escape. Conforty and her husband hid from terrorists before being directed to an open field for safety. She recounted witnessing the massacre of friends and the terrifying experience of being chased. Her friend, who had sought refuge in an abandoned ambulance, was killed when terrorists attacked the vehicle. Conforty noted that the violence was indiscriminate, as their Arab Muslim driver was also murdered.

The Nova Exhibition in London drew over 40,000 visitors, including notable political figures. The exhibition aimed to provide a poignant reflection on the events of October 7th.