by Gabby Ostroff

From hosting a Shabbat dinner with the goal of bringing Jews together in New York post October 7th, Josh Kadden never would have imagined leaving his job in tech to spearhead the launch of the Nova Music Festival Exhibition, one of the leading acts to preserve the memory of the Nova Festival—and “the moment music stood still.” The exhibit quickly became a nationally recognized tribute to the victims of the Nova Festival on October 7th, and a powerful tool for education and healing.

The Nova Exhibit, as Kadden puts it, “is a way for those who cannot get on a plane to bear witness and pay their respects.” The exhibit has now reached thousands of people, across various cities nationwide and into Canada. It is a tribute to the landscape of the festival site, and a memorial for the lives lost on that day. Most of all, it is centered around music and humanity—nothing displayed is political. “There are no Israeli flags,” Kadden said. “We wanted people to walk through the exhibit and see themselves—not see Israel.”

When speaking with Kadden, he reflected on the origin of the exhibit, and how a WhatsApp group turned into a movement, as the urgency of the message grew. He described how music is a universal language that has the ability to bring people together, and Kadden’s continuous point was that there is nothing political about this festival…just kids with a love for music and life. When I asked him how the protests have affected the exhibit, he said that “the protest ironically amplified [the exhibit’s] reach.” “If you need to protest this exhibit,” he explained, “then you’re so far gone that you’re not even worth trying to engage with.”

Over everything, Kadden’s story is one that took pain—and a frustrating lack of power—and turned it into purpose. “The best way to fight antisemitism is inviting your friend to Shabbat and showing them how freaking awesome our culture is.”

This interview offers an intimate look into the motivations and momentum behind one of the most culturally impactful Jewish exhibits in recent memory.

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position, thoughts, or opinions of Our CampUs United (“OCU”), its affiliates, or any other individuals or entities associated with OCU.

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